Reviewing the Past
by Aliy
Summary: Chloe hasn't been getting must reast lately; Derek is really worried about her. Simon doesn't think he can stand being board in the hotel for another day. Tori wan't to know why Chloe's spent so much time writing in her note pads. What's really happening here? R&R Dp reads Dp, that about sums it up.
1. Prologue

**So here is my Prologue in full. Today was a TWD so I had plenty of time to do finish it. Tomorrow I'm taking my senior class photo; like I told you guys before I still can't believe that's already 2 months into the school year. Sprit week and homecoming are coming up; it's almost halfway through the first semester. My senior year is going by so fast and I hope I don't miss a thing. Any who I'm goanna start doing the chapters soon I would like some suggestions. Ideas on little fights or arguments are characters could have while there reading about themselves. So this is my challenge to you; pick you fav. part of the Summoning weather you think it's funny or embarrassing and let me know.**

**A/N: I dont own DP **

**CPROV**

"Chloe?" I heard someone called my name but my body was still over taken by sleep. I rolled on my side away from the voice in protest. "Chloe?" The voice said again and I felt something lightly shake my arm.

"Hmm…" I answered not wanting to open my eyes. When there wasn't an answer I opened my eyes a slit; my vision was made up of blobs and colored fizzled out shapes. I closed my eyes again and rubbed my fist over them; rubbing some of the sleep out of them.

When my eyes came to focus I saw Aunt Lauren sitting beside me on the full bed in our hotel room. "Chloe hon, everyone's getting ready to head down to breakfast." I closed my eyes and nestled back under the covers. "Not hungry," I murmured.

Aunt Lauren reached down to feel my forehead. "Chloe are you feeling alright? You're not sick are you?" I pushed her hand away, "I'm fine I was just up late last night."

I could see her concerned look through my closed eye lids. "I'll be fine I just want to sleep in; have Derek bring me some breakfast back when he gets through if he doesn't mind." Which I knew he didn't. I didn't wait for a reply but I bet that she had a disapproving look on her face. I heard the door open then close as I slipped back into a well need rest.

**DPROV**

I sipped my cup of orange juice down impatiently I wanted to waited on Chloe. This was the first hotel that we had stopped with a complimentary breakfast and you how cheap these people are with complimentary breakfasts.

There was no way that I would hold over on just a biscuit with a little gravy poured on top and one of those strange looking muffin things. Simon didn't seem to like it to much either. I watched as he munched on bland cereal; it was the only thing they had that was' ok' for him to eat.

He smirked at me when he saw me looking my way. "So was this your's or Dad's brilliant idea to save us some money?"

I gave him a look and he held up his hand in a surrendering gesture. I grunted, "Do you think that it was my idea to haven us on the one pound diet?" "One pound diet?" Simon questioned raising his eyebrows.

"Yea because it would probably take all our food for it to weigh around a pound; now that I think about it would probably be less."

My brother made a face at me then sighed and went back to eating his cereal. The door to the little eating area open; even with my back to the door I knew who it was.

Chloe's Aunt and Tori walked over to the breakfast line grabing something for themself's. Lauren sat down across from Dad who was seated a couple tables away from us with papers spread everywhere.

However Tori, unfortunately doesn't know how to take a hint. She slumped into the seat next to without saying a word. She nibbled at a piece of toast her gaze fixed on the table top.

Just because Chloe and Tori had sort of became friends doesn't mean I don't trust her any less then I did before. "Where's Chloe?" Tori shrugged, "Her aunt said she wasn't feeling well."

I pushed myself up from the table after swallowing my biscuit. I fixed Chloe one to go after Lauren had asked me too; and grabbed myself the rest of the muffin things that were out on the tray. I had I had about 11 when I left but had eaten six by the time I was at the door to Chloe's room.

I stopped and lightly knocked on the door to the room that Chloe shared with Lauren and Tori. When she didn't answer I figured she was still asleep so I let myself in with the key card Lauren and given me. To my surprise I found both beds empty but I could hear the shower running from behind the closed bathroom door.

I put Chloe's breakfast in the small microwave and was going to run back to my own room real quick, until I heard the shower turn off and then found myself staring at the cute, puttee girl groaning as she got up from the floor in front of me.

**CPROV**

**-After Lauren Left-**

I thought I heard someone whisper something next to my ear. Something brushed my elbow and I jumped, glancing down towage my ankles I almost let out a scream.

A corps body was slowly pulling its way torage me. I gasped and bolted up in bed; my right hand clenched my pendent tightly to my chest. The nightmares were getting to me again.

I sighed out loud and shifted so I could see the clock. Ten minutes had passed between the time when Aunt Lauren had woken me up earlier.

There was no point in going back to sleep know. I took a quick shower and pulled my wet hair up in a bun. It was still dyed black but it was a little faded now.

I would probably need to re-dye it soon. I'd have to consult with Tori though about the color. I walked out of the bathroom to busy fiddling with my hair to pay attention to where I was going and walled into a wall of flesh.

I feel flat on my butt with a thud. I groaned and slowly stared to get up when Derek reached down and scooped me up in his arms. I stared up into to gorgeous emerald eyes. "Hi," I said softly. "Hey," he replied. I let out a small giggle and leaned forward until our foreheads touched.

**DPROV**

"Good morning," I whispered and kissed her cheek gently. "Hmm..," she mumbled and bared her face in the crook of my neck. The door opened with a click.

"Oh god," Tori said and I lightly growled to were only Chloe could hear me. "I just ate and I do not want to see that this early in the morning."

"It's only a little past ten," Chloe pointed out raising her face from my neck. "Whatever," Tori mumbled and slammed the door as she went into the bathroom.

"Are you feeling better Chloe?" Simon closed the door to the room and pulled out a chair from the small table. "A little," she told him and I knew it was a lie. I could see the dark rings under her eyes; I wondered if it was the nightmares again.

"Um, Derek you can put me down now." Chloe said, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink. "Right," I grunted my own cheek heating.

I sat here down, "Your breakfast is in the microwave."

"Thanks," she said. She heated it up then ate about half before giving the rest to me. I ate it in less than three bites. "I'm goanna go grab something from my room, I'll be back in a minute," I told Chloe. "Hay bro wait up," Simon called. "I want to get my sketch book."

**TPROV**

I came out of the bathroom to find Chloe positioned at the small table of our room. She was scribbling furiously on one of her yellow writing pads. That's usually what she's been spending all her time on lately.

I stretched out on one of the beds and tuned on the TV. After about 2 seconds of annoying slice I asked, "What are you doing?"

Chloe looked up from her writing pad. "Oh, I've been helping Simon with his comic." I knew she was lying.

I got up and walked over behind her to see what she was writing. She eminently flipped the pad shut, I tried to reach down and grab it but she jumped up and pulled it out of my reach. "Oh, come on I just want to see what you wrought."

"No," she said sternly. This was not going to end well, I thought as I lunged for the writing pad in her arms.

**SPROV**

"So I'm guessing there's nothing on the agenda for today as usual?" Derek just grunted in reply tempting me to roll my eyes. "We could go swimming?" I got a look for that one.

"Fine," I mumbled as we went into our room.

I grabbed my sketch book out of my back pack and waited on D. He was rummaging through the grocery bag that dad had bought the other night.

He took out the box of peanut butter crackers. "You want one?" "Defiantly," I replied catching the one he tossed to me.

Without another word he turned leading the way back to the girls' room. Derek still had the key card to their room and had absolutely no problem letting himself in; of course I trailed behind without commenting.

I stopped and blinked at the scene before me. Chloe stood on the table holding her writing pad out of reach from Tori. "What's going on here," Derek demanded.

**CPROV**

"What's going on here," Derek demanded as he stood in the door way. Before I could say a word Tori took the stage.

"That is what's going on here." She pointed at my yellow pad that I was holding above my head.

"She has been obsessed with thing for months now. She partially sleeps with it under her pillow. She spends all her time writing in that thing. She stays up to like 1'o clock in the morning almost every night."

Derek's eyes went to me, "Chloe is that true?" I nodded stepping down from the table and taking a few steps away from Tori.

He plucked he pad from my finger tips and flipped through it without even reading it. "What is this for?"

I sighed, "Simons comic." Derek's head whipped around to glare at his brother. "He didn't ask me to do this though," I said getting Derek's attention again.

"I was just supposed to do the story line but I couldn't really think of one so I just wrought about our adventures since I came to Lye house." "Cool," Simon said and smiled at me. I gave him a week smile in return.

"I was going mark out all the stuff he did didn't the give it to him."

"I don't get it what's the big deal?" Simon asked, glancing between Tori and me. I gadded at my bottom lip, "Well you see I wrought it from my point of view so it's kind of embarrassing."

Tori rolled her eye, "You are way to dramatic Chloe. So are we goanna read it or not?" Everyone looked at me and I sighed, "Alright."

**Let me know what you thinkm R&R. Don't forget about my challenge.**


	2. Reading the Prologue

**Hola! Happy Friday everyone. I have a story; its short I swear. Today my class was supposed to go out to the football field to take out senior class picture but, the forecast predicted that it was going to rain. So we got out there about 2:30 and it was sprinkling a little. Well we had to sit there for like 10 minutes for the camera person to get everyone squashed together and his/her camera going. By the time we got our pictures taken it was pouring. I got to my car and I was soaked and the bottom of my new pants were covered in mud. Just thought I'd share that with yawl, Any who.**

**A/W: I dont own anything.**

**CPROV**

After grabbing some snacks and settling in comfortable positions around the room, we ready to start ready. "So whose goanna read first?" Tori asked; I was lying against Derek's chest when he rumbled "I will," and reached out of my writing pad.

**Twelve years earlier…**

**Mommy forgot to warn the new babysitter about the basement.**

"What does this have to do with our adventures?" Simon asked and Derek cut him a look for interrupting him.

**Chloe teetered on the top step, chubby hands reaching up to clutch both railings, her arms shaking so much she could barely hang on. Her legs shook, too, the Scooby Doo heads on her slippers bobbing. **

"Scooby Doo slipper?" Derek questioned glancing at me. "Shut up, I was like five." I turned my face towage my lap hiding my embarrassment.

**Even her breath shook, puffing like she'd been running. "Chloe?" Emily's muffled voice drifted up from the dark basement.**

Tori rolled her eyes at the story as if it could see her; when she saw me looking she rolled her eyes at me too.

**"Your mom said the Coke's in the cold cellar, but I can't find it. Can you come down and help me?"**

"Who's Emily?" Simon wondered. "She's the babysitter, keep up you idiot." Tori said examining her nails as if she had nothing better to do.

**Mommy said she'd told Emily about the basement. Chloe was sure of it. She closed her eyes and thought hard. Before Mommy and Daddy left for the party, she'd been playing in the TV room. Mommy had called, and Chloe had run into the front hall where Mommy had scooped her up in a hug, laughing when Chloe's doll poked her eye. "I see you're playing with Princess- I mean, Pirate Jasmine. Has she rescued poor Aladdin from the evil genie yet?"**

I smiled to myself remembering the good old days of being a little kid.

**Chloe shook her head, then whispered, "Did you tell Emily about the basement?" "I most certainly did. No basements for Miss Chloe. That door stays closed." When Daddy came around the corner, Mommy said, "We really need to think about moving Steve." "Say the word and the sign goes up." Daddy ruffled Chloe's hair. "Be good for Emily, kiddo." And then they were gone.**

Tori face was summon when she said, "You had the picture perfect family." I looked away, "Key word 'had'." Derek squeezed my hand; I knew Tori didn't mean any harm she was just thinking about her Dad. Well her fake dad, she still didn't know about Mr. Bae being her real Dad .

"**Chloe, I know you can hear me," Emily yelled. Chloe peeled her fingers from the railing and stuck them in her ears. "Chloe!"**

"Like that would help, very mature." Tori said

**"I c-can't go in the basement," Chloe called. "I-I'm not allowed." "Well, I'm in charge and I say you are. You're a big girl." Chloe made her feet move down one step. The back of her throat hurt and everything looked fuzzy, like she was going to cry. "Chloe Saunders, you have five seconds or I'll drag you down here and lock the door."**

"No affiance Chloe but you babysitter sounds like a real bitc-." "Simon," Derek snapped cutting him off. "Can I continue?" He growled.

**Chloe raced down the steps so fast her feet tangled and she tumbled onto a heap on the landing. She lay there, ankle throbbing, tears burning her eyes as she peered into the basement, with its creaks and smells and shadows. And Mrs. Hobb.**

I cringed right when Simon asked "Who?" I might not remember much about all the ghost that Aunt Lauren and Mom tried to cover up when I was younger but one I do remember is Mrs. Hobb.

**There'd been others, before Mrs. Hobb scared them away. Like old Mrs Miller, who'd play peek-a-boo with Chloe and call her Mary. And Mr. Drake, who'd ask weird questions, like whether anyone lived on the moon yet, and most times Chloe didn't know the answer, but he'd still smile and tell her she was a good girl. She used to like coming downstairs and talking to the people. All she had to do was not look behind the furnace, where a man hung from the ceiling,**

They all glanced at me horrified looks on their faces. "Did you really have to live with something like that?" Tori questioned her eyes held curiosity. "Yeah, though I don't really remember it." I answered, "At least not that much." I murmured so only Derek heard me.

**his face all purple and puffy. He never said anything, but seeing him always made Chloe's tummy hurt. "Chloe?" Emily's muffled voice called. "Are you coming?"**

"The word is 'no' Chloe, remember? No I will not do that no I -." I jabbed my elbow into Derek's side and shut him up. "I know I've heard that abort a thousand times."

**Mommy would say "Think about the good parts, not the bad." So as Chloe walked down the last three steps, she remembered Mrs. Miller and Mr. Drake and she didn't think about Mrs. Hobb at all… or not very much. **

At least I tried.

**At the bottom, she squinted into the near darkness. Just the night lights were on, the ones Mommy had put everywhere when Chloe started saying she didn't want to go downstairs and Mommy thought she was afraid of the dark, which she was, a little, but only because the dark meant Mrs. Hobb could sneak up on her.**

"How can a ghost sneak up on you Chloe?" Tori asked, "Their dead." I shrugged, "Lots of ways."

**Chloe could see the cold cellar door, though, so she kept her eyes on that and walked as fast as she could. When something moved, she forgot about not looking, but it was only the hanging man, and all she could see was his hand peeking from behind the furnace as he swayed. She ran to the cold cellar door and yanked it open. Inside, it was pitch black. **

"You shouldn't have been down there in the first place." Derek said to me. We shared looked before he cleared his throat and continued reading.

**"Chloe?" Emily called from the darkness. Chloe clenched her fists. Now, Emily was being really mean. Hiding on her- **

"Why would she hide if she was the one who asked you to come down there?" Simon asked, even though it seemed like he was talking more to himself.

**Footsteps pattered overhead. Mommy? Home already? "Come on, Chloe. You aren't afraid of the dark, are you?" Emily laughed. "I guess you're still a little baby after all."**

Derek shook his head in a disproving getter and pulled me closer against him

**Chloe scowled. Emily didn't know anything. Just a stupid, mean girl. Chloe would get her Coke, then run upstairs and tell Mommy, and Emily would never babysit her again.**

"You Chloe I can't really see you tattling on someone, even if you were little your just to nice." Tori said.

**She leaned into the tiny room, trying to remember where Mommy kept the Coke. That was it on the shelf, wasn't it? She darted over and stood on her tiptoes. Her fingers closed around a cool metal can. "Chloe? Chloe!" It was Emily's voice, but far away, shrill. Footsteps pounded across the floor overhead. "Chloe, where are you?"**

"Wait I'm confused is the babysitter upstairs or downstairs?" Simon asked me; I smiled. "You'll have to wait and see." He frowned and my smile grew.

**Chloe dropped the can. It hit the concrete with a crack, then rolled against her foot, hissing and spitting, soda pooling around her slippers. "Chloe, Chloe, where are you?" mimicked a voice behind her, like Emily's but not quite. Chloe turned slowly. In the doorway stood an old woman in a pink housecoat, her eyes and teeth glittering in the dark. Mrs. Hobb. Chloe wanted to squeeze her eyes shut, but she didn't dare because it only made her madder, made everything worse. Mrs. Hobb's skin rippled and squirmed.**

Derek paused and glanced at me. I nodded and gestured for him to keep going.

**Then it went black and shiny, crackling like twigs in a campfire. Big chunks fell off, plopping onto the floor. Her hair sizzled and burned away. And then there was nothing left but a skull dotted with scraps of blackened flesh. The jaws opened, the teeth still glittering. "Welcome back, Chloe."**

"That is the most revolting thing I've ever heard." Tori said she had a cracker in her hand but quickly fouled it up in her napkin. "Not to mention disgusting," Simon said. Derek had his head cocked to the side. "I wonder how she died? What made her look like that?" "Dude," Simon said to his brother. "That is one since experiment you don't want to figure out." I giggled at the look on his face as he sat there deep in thought. Simon plucked the yellow paid from his fingers, "I'll read next."


	3. Reading Chapter 1

**Hay everyone. People of earth and beyond I have the next chapter finished. My challenge is still up by the way for anyone up with any ideas. So, a quick note to all the readers if you guys don't like the way I'm doing something or if I write(say) anything offensive or I do something that annoys you-all, just let me know and I hope we can try to get that cleared up. Enjoy!**

**A/W: I do not own DP**

**S****PROV**

**I bolted up in bed, one hand clutching my pendant, the other wrapped in my sheets. I struggled to recapture wisps of the dream already fluttering away.**

I looked at Chloe. "So it was a dream?" She shook her head. "Then what?" Tori asked beating me to the question. "Just a memory," she said with a shrug.

**Something about a basement… something about a little girl… me? I couldn't remember ever having a basement - we'd always lived in condo apartments.**

"Condo apartments, very nice." Tori said. I scowled at her for the interruption.

**A little girl in the basement, something scary… weren't basements always scary? **

**I shivered just thinking about them, dark and damp and empty. But this one hadn't been… **

**I couldn't remember what. A man behind a furnace…?**

I think we all glanced at Chloe in empathy. She just smiled slightly at us but you could tell it was forced.

**A bang at my bedroom door made me jump.**

"Have you always been skittish?" Tori asked, looking at Chloe with one eyebrow raised. "Unfortunately," she said with a giggle.

**"Chloe!" Annette shrieked. "Why hasn't your alarm gone off? I'm the housekeeper, not your nanny. If you're late again, I'm calling your father."**

"Housekeeper?" Derek said looking at Chloe with an amused look on his face. "Spoiled much Chloe?" Tori said in a board toan. "Lay off Tori," I told her. She mumbled something too low for me to her but Derek growled. I quickly continued.

**As threats went, this wasn't exactly the stuff of nightmares. **

**Even if Annette managed to get hold of my dad in Berlin, he'd just pretend to listen, eyes on his Blackberry, attention riveted to something more important, like the weather forecast. **

**He'd murmur a vague "Yes, I'll see to it when I get back" and forget all about me the moment he hung up.**

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tori soot Chloe a look of understanding. Maybe, just maybe she had a heart.

**I tuned on my radio, cranked it up, and crawled out of bed. **

**A half hour later, I was in my bathroom getting ready for school. I pulled the sides of my hair back in clips, glanced in the mirror, and shuddered. **

**The style made me look twelve years old… and I didn't need any help. I'd just turned fifteen and servers still handed me the kiddie menu in restaurants. **

I paused, "Seriously?" Chloe nodded, "It's so embarrassing." I couldn't help but snicker and she narrowed her eyes at me.

**I couldn't blame them. I was five foot nothing with curves that only showed if I wore tight jeans and a tighter T-shirt.**

"I'm sure Derek wouldn't mind Chloe," Tori teased. Chloe and Derek's faces were both red. "Bro. are you blushing?" I asked joining Tori's teasing. "No," he half mumbled half growled. Before I could say anything else Chloe cleared her throat. "Please keep reading."

**Aunt Lauren swore I'd shoot up- and out- when I finally got my period. By this point, I figured it was 'if,' not 'when.'**

"You've never gotten your period?" Tori asked in shock. Chloe's face went red again; and Derek and I sat there awkwardly as they talked about girl stuff. "Yes I have; this all past tense."

**Most of my friends had gotten theirs at twelve, eleven even.**

** I tried not to think about it too much, but of course I did. **

**I worried that there was something wrong with me, I felt like a freak every time my friends talked about their periods, praying they didn't find out I hadn't gotten mine.**

"You would have been screwed socially if they did." Tori said and we all gave her a look.

**Aunt Lauren said I was fine, and she was a doctor, so I guess she'd know. But it still bugged me. A lot.**

**"Chloe!" The door shuddered under Annette's meaty fist. **

"Housekeepers gone wild," I joked and everyone rolled their eyes expect for Chloe who just smiled at me.

**"I'm on the toilet," I shouted back. "Can I get some privacy maybe?" I tried just one clip at the back of my head, holding the sides up. Not bad. **

**When I turned my head for a side view, the clip slid from my baby-fine hair. I should never have gotten it cut. But I'd been sick of having long, straight, little-girl hair.**

**I'd decided on a shoulder-length, wispy style On the model it looked great. On me? Not so much."**

"You should try a shorter style," Tori suggested. "It might help." "Really-." Chloe stared but I interrupted by continuing on with the story.

**I eyed the unopened hair color tube. Kari swore red streaks would be perfect in my strawberry blond hair. **

**I couldn't help thinking I'd look like a candy cane. Still, it might make me look older…**

"So that's where you got that at." Derek said and chucked.

**"I'm picking up the phone, Chloe," Annette yelled. I grabbed the tube of dye, stuffed it in my backpack, and threw open the door.**

Tori snorted but made no comment.

**I took the stairs as always. The building might change, but my routine never did. **

**The day I'd started kindergarten, my mother held my hand, my Sailor Moon backpack over her other arm as we'd stood at the top of the landing. "Get ready, Chloe," she'd said. "One, two, three-"**

"Your mom sounds nice," Tori said her eyes distant thinking about something else. "She was." Chloe said her eyes misty.

"The best." she barred her face in Derek's should and he glanced towage me unsure of what to do. "Comfort her," I mouthed, and he carefully put an arm around her.

**And we were off, racing down the stairs until we reached the bottom, panting and giggling, the floor swaying and sliding under our unsteady feet, all the fears over my first school day gone. **

**We'd run down the stairs together every morning all though kindergarten and half of first grade and then… **

**well, then there wasn't anyone to run down the stairs with anymore.**

Chloe was whipping her eyes and putting on a brave face.

I never knew my real mom and kind of under stood where she was coming from. Then again I think all of us in our little group of misfits had, had some sort of mother problems.

**I paused at the bottom, touching the necklace under my T-shirt, then shook off the memories, hoisted my backpack, and walked from the stairwell. **

**After my mom died, we'd moved around Buffalo a lot. My dad flipped luxury apartments, meaning he bought them in buildings in the final stages of construction, then sold them when the work was complete. **

**Since he was away on business most of the time, putting down roots wasn't important. Not for him, anyway.**

"Same here," I said with a sigh. "At least it seemed that way, right D?" Derek nodded.

**This morning, the stairs hadn't been such a bright idea. **

**My stomach was already fluttering with nerves over my Spanish midterm. **

**I'd screwed up the last test- gone to a weekend sleepover at Beth's when I should have been studying- and barely passed. **

**Spanish had never been my best subject, but if I didn't pull it up to a C, Dad might actually notice and start wondering whether an art school had been such a smart choice.**

"No I kind of wish that I had gone to an art school when I had the chance." I said with a fail attempted to cheer everyone up.

I wasn't sure about the others but being on the run had actually made me miss school. Sports, Friends, and just having something to do besides sit around.

**Milos was waiting for me in his cab at the curb. He'd been driving me for over two years now, through two moves and three schools. As I got in, he adjusted the visor on my side.**

** The morning sun still hit my eyes, but I didn't tell him that. My stomach relaxed as I rubbed my fingers over the familiar rip in the armrest and inhaled chemical pine from the air freshener twisting above the vent.**

"You Know I kind of hate the smell of pine." Tori said scrunching up her noise.

**"I saw a movie last night," he said as he slid the cab across three lanes. "One of the kind you like."**

**"A thriller?"**

"Thrillers are classics but I love horror. There's nothing like a good scare." Chloe rolled her eyes, "Like you don't have enough excitement in your life right now."

**"No." He frowned, lips moving as if testing out word choices. "An action-adventure. You know, lots of guns, things blowing up. A real shoot-'em-down movie."**

"Shoot-'em-down?" I said questionably and looked at Chloe who snickered.

**I hated correcting Milos's English, but he insisted on it. **

Chloe smiled faintly.

**"You mean a shoot-'em-up movie." He cocked one dark brow. "When you shoot a man, which way does he fall? Up?"**

"He had a point." I said, and Derek gave me a confused look.

**I laughed, and we talked about movies for a while. My favorite subject. **

"That's our Chloe," I joked.

**When Milos had to take a call from his dispatcher, I glanced out the side window. **

**A long haired boy darted from behind a cluster of businessmen. He carried an old fashioned lunch box with a superhero on it.**

** I was so busy trying to figure out which superhero it was, I didn't notice where the boy was headed until he leaped off the curb, landing between us and the next car.**

"Oh my god," Tori said. I had to agree, I mean did the kid have death wish or something. Derek glance at Chloe and a look past between the two of them.

**"Milos!" I screamed. "Watch-"**

**The last word was ripped from my lungs as I slammed against my shoulder belt. The driver behind us, and the one behind him, laid on their horns, a chain reaction of protest. **

**"What?" Milos said. "Chloe? What's wrong?"**

"What's wrong; she sictizo that's what wrong." Tori said and shook her head. "If we had only known." None of us augured with that.

**I looked over the hood of the car and saw… nothing.**

** Just an empty lane in front and traffic veering to our left, drivers flashing Milos the finger as they passed.**

"That's not very nice," I said. "So," Tori said. "So, it's not very nice." She lifted her finger up and flicked me off.

**"Th-th-th-" I clenched my fists, as if that could somehow force the word out. If you get jammed, take another route, my speech therapist always said. "I thought I saw some- wha- wha-"**

**_ Speak slowly_. Consider your words first.**

Chloe gave us all a look daring us to say anything.

**"I'm sorry. I thought I saw someone jump in front of us." Milos eased the taxi forward.**

** "That happens to me sometimes, especially if I'm turning my head. I think I see someone, but there's no one there."**

"If only that was really the case," Chloe said with a sigh.

**I nodded. My stomach hurt again.**

"Ok, Who's reading next?" Tori let out an aggravated sigh, "I guess I will."

**Please R&R thanks!**


	4. Reading Chapter 2

**It took me a little longer with this chapter but as the chapters get longer it will take me longer to get them down and everything. Pluse this one was a hard one for because I wasn't really sure what to do with the chapter and because it was from Tori's point of view. So, enjoy and let me know what you think.**

**TPROV**

**Between the dream I couldn't remember and the boy I couldn't have seen, I was spooked. **

Who wouldn't be; I thought but didn't say it aloud.

**Until I got at least one question out of my head, focusing on my Spanish test was out of the question. So I called Aunt Lauren.**

"If your aunt had already known that you were a necromancer and also knew that you were already showing signs of strong powers; it makes me wonder why she didn't take you and run." Derek said cocking his head deep in thought. "Because of my dad," Chloe whispered. Derek grumbled something I couldn't hear and then nodded for me to continue.

**When I got to her voice mail, I said I'd phone back at lunch. I was halfway to my friend Kari's locker when my aunt called back.**

"That was fast," Simon commented.

**"Did I ever live in a house with a basement?" I asked.**

"Straight to the point," Simon said. "I taught her well," I bragged and Chloe smiled at me. "And Derek added a little influence too," she said.

**"And good morning to you, too."**

**"Sorry. I had this dream and it's bugging me." I told her what bits I could recall. "Ah, that would have been the old house in Allentown. You were just a tyke. I'm not surprised you don't remember."**

"Barley," Chloe snorted taking to the story version of her aunt.

**"Thanks. It was-"**

"Bugging you," Simon said to Chloe. I laughed to myself when I read the next line.

**"Bugging you,-**

Simon made a face, "Oh, now I'm thinking like your aunt. Chloe giggled and Derek made a noise that sounded like a chuckle but I wasn't sure.

**I can tell. Must have been a doozy of a nightmare."**

**"Something about a monster living in the basement. Very cliché. I'm ashamed of myself."**

"Monsters?" Simon looked a little confused. Probably too much for his brain to handle, I thought.

**"Monster? What-?" The PA system on her end cut her off, a tinny voice saying, "Dr Fellows, please report to station 3B."**

"The Edison group?" Derek said looking at Chloe with his eyes narrowed. She shrugged, "It could have been but I'm not sure."

**"That'd be your cue," I said.**

**"It can wait. Is everything okay, Chloe? You sound off."**

"How can anyone sound off when they just watched a kid ran out in front of their car." I said with an eye roll

**"No, just… my imagination's in overdrive today. I freaked Milos out this morning, thinking I saw a boy run in front of the cab."**

**"What?"**

"Oh, now she freaks out," I murmured.

**"There wasn't a boy. Not outside my head anyway."**

**I saw Kari at her locker and waved. "The bell's going to ring so-"**

**"I'm picking you up after school. High tea at the Crowne. We'll talk."**

I looked up at Chloe. "High tea?" She rolled her eyes at me. "Aunt Lauren was into it, besides I couldn't just say no." "Hum, yeah you could have."

**The line went dead before I could argue. I shook my head and ran to catch up with Kari.**

**School. Not much to say about it. People think art schools must be different, all that creative energy simmering, classes full of happy kids, even the Goths as close to happy as their tortured souls will allow.**

Simon chuckled and I kicked his foot.

**They figure art schools must have less peer pressure and bullying. After all, most kids there are the ones who get bullied in other schools.**

"Very true," I said. "No it's not." Chloe said. "An art school maybe different from what your used to Tori but if you could go to one you would see what I mean.

**It's true that stuff like that isn't bad at A.R. Gurney High, but when you put kids together, no matter how similar they seem, lines are drawn. Cliques form.**

"High school is always going to be that way. No matter if it's an art school, boarding school, or a regular public school." Simon sighed and Derek nodded in agreement.

**Instead of jocks and geeks and nobodies, you get artists and musicians and actors. **

"Maybe we should consider going back to school. We could go to an art school in fact." I frown at Simon's idea but I wasn't the only one who opposed. Derek made a disapproving sound that was probably a no.

**As a theater arts student, I was lumped in with the actors, where talent seemed to count less than looks, poise and verbal ability. I didn't turn heads,**

"I don't know Chloe you turn my brother's head pretty well." Simon said while Chloe just blushed and Derek scowled. "Can continue?" I asked getting annoyed for all the interruptions, they nodded.

**-and I scored a fat zero on the last two. On a popularity scale, I ranked a perfectly mediocre five. The kind of girl nobody thinks a whole lot about. But I'd always dreamed of being in art school, and it was as cool as I'd imagined. Better yet, my father had promised that I could stay until I graduated, no matter how many times we moved. **

Chloe sighed and muttered, "That plan didn't fall through."

**That meant for the first time in my life, I wasn't the "new girl". I'd started at A.R. Gurney as a freshman, like everyone else. Just like a normal kid.**

"We're never normal," Derek said. He hadn't been talking much throughout this chapter.

**Finally. That day, though, I didn't feel normal. I spent the morning thinking about that boy on the street. There were plenty of logical explanations.**

"You're just crazy," I said. Earning a scowl from Derek but why I would care.

**I'd been staring at his lunch box, so I'd misjudged where he'd been running. He'd jumped into a waiting car at the curb. Or swerved at the last second and vanished into the crowd.**

"Not likely unless he had a supernatural power of supper speed." Derek said "That would be awesome," Simon told us we all just gave him an odd look.

**That made perfect sense. So why did it still bug me? "Oh come on," Miranda said as I rooted through my locker at lunchtime. "He's right there. Ask him if he's going to the dance. How tough can that be?"**

I looked a Chloe my eyebrow raised, so were Derek's. Simon was too busy digging through a bag of Bugles to pay attention.

**"Leave her alone," Beth said. She reached over my shoulder, grabbed my bright yellow lunch bag from the top shelf, and dangled it. "I don't know how you can miss this Chloe. It's practically neon."**

I wrinkled my noise up, "Neon? That's hideous, Besides yellow isn't even in this season."

**"She needs a stepladder to see that high," Kari said.**

**I banged her with my hip, and she bounced away, laughing.**

"Nice friends," Simon commented. "They were just kidding," Chloe said. "Really," Simon gave her a look. "Didn't sound like it?"

**Beth rolled her eyes. "Come on, people, or we'll never get a table." We made it as far as Brent's locker before Miranda elbowed me. "Ask him, Chloe."**

Derek kept quiet but it was obvious he was jealous. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Chloe squeeze his hand for reassurance.

**She mock-whispered it.**

**Brent glanced over… then quickly looked away. My face heated and I clutched my lunch bag to my chest.**

"So you did like him?" Derek asked and Chloe shook her head. "You'll see." The she gestured for me to keep reading.

**Kari's long, dark hair brushed my shoulder. "He's a jerk," she whispered. "Ignore him."**

**"No, he's not a jerk. He just doesn't like me. Can't help that."**

Derek gave Chloe a puzzled look now confused. Then he reached over and took the bag of Bugles from Simon before he ate all of them and handed him back an apple in return. Simon started to complain but Derek quitted him with a look.

**"Here," Miranda said. "I'll ask him for you."**

**"No!" I grabbed her arm. "P-please." Her round face screwed up in disgust. "God, you can be such a baby. You're fifteen, Chloe. You have to take matters into your own hands."**

"Well she seems like a great friend," I said sarcastically, and earned a look from everyone.

"**Like phoning a guy until his mother tells you to leave him alone?" Kari said. Miranda only shrugged. "That's Rob's mother. He never said it." "Yeah? You just keep telling yourself that."**

Simon cringed and I looked at him. "What?" "That kind of sounds like you." I took the writing pad and hit him with it, and Chloe had to pull me away.

**That set them off for real. Normally, I'd have jumped in and made them quit, but I was still upset over Miranda embarrassing me in front of Brent.**

Derek scowled once again. Then again I'm not surprised his face isn't already permanently set in scowl since he does it so much.

**Kari, Beth, and I used to talk about guys, but we weren't into them. Miranda was- she'd had more boyfriends than she could name. So when she started hanging out with us, it suddenly became really important to have a guy we liked. I worried enough about being immature, and it didn't help that she'd burst out laughing when I'd admitted I'd never been in a real date.**

"So does that mean I was your first date?" Simon asked and Chloe smiled sheepishly. "Yep you should feel honored."

**So I invented a crush. Brent.**

"Smart yet stupid." "Tori," Chloe said her eyes narrowed.

**I figured I could just name a guy I liked and that would be enough. Not a chance. Miranda had outed me- telling him I liked him. I'd been horrified. Well, mostly. There'd also been a little part of me that hoped he'd go "Cool. I really like Chloe, too." Not a chance. Before, we used to talk in Spanish class sometimes. Now he sat two rows away, like I'd suddenly developed the world's worst case of BO.**

"Fake crushes never work Chloe," I said with a sigh. "I don't need a fake crush." She said he gaze locked on Derek's. "Hum, other people in room." They dropped each other's gazes blushing.

**We'd just reached the cafeteria when someone called my name. I turned to see Nate Bozian jogging towards me, his red hair like a beacon in the crowded hall. He bumped into a senior, grinned an apology, and kept coming.**

"Sounds like a spunky guy." Simon

**"Hey," I said as he drew near.**

**"Hey yourself. Did you forget Petrie rescheduled film club for lunchtime this week? We're discussing avant-garde. I know you love art films."**

**I fake gagged.**

"What's so bad about an art film?" Chloe sighed. "Because Simon there practically a snooze fest." He looked a tad affined.

**"I'll send your regrets, then. And I'll tell Petrie you aren't interested in directing that short either."**

**"We're deciding that today?"**

**Nate started walking backward. "Maybe. Maybe not. So I'll tell Petrie-"**

"I don't like him," Derek stated. "Why?" Derek shrugged, "Just don't."

**"Gotta run," I said to my friends and hurried to catch up with him. The film club meeting started backstage as always, where we'd go through business stuff and eat lunch. Food wasn't allowed in the auditorium. We discussed the short, and I was on the list for directors- the only freshman who made the cut. After, as everyone else watched scenes from avant-garde films, I mulled through options for an audition tape. I snuck out before it ended and headed back to my locker.**

"I was too busy thinking to pay attention," Chloe said shaking her head.

**My brain kept whirring until I was halfway there. Then my stomach started acting up again, reminding me that I'd been so excited about making the short list that I'd forgotten to eat.**

"How could you forget to eat?" Derek asked and Chloe laughed, "Not all of us have stomachs made fore a bull."

**I'd left my lunch bag backstage. I checked my watch. Ten minutes before class. I could make it. Film club had ended. Whoever left the auditorium last had turned out the lights, and I didn't have a clue how to turn them on, especially when finding the switch would require being able to see it. Glow-in-the-dark light switches.**

"That would be awesome." Simon said, "And handy too." "Thanks," Chloe said smiling.

**That's how I'd finance my first film. Of course, I'd need someone to actually make them. **

"Maybe somebody could make them for me?" Chloe said giving Derek big baby blue doe eye. I chuckled to myself; yep I taught her well. He looked away and said a gruff, "No."

**Like most directors, I was more of an idea person.**

I snorted earning me another round of looks.

**I picked my way though the aisles, bashing my knees twice. Finally my eyes adjusted to the dim emergency lights, and I found the stairs leading backstage. Then it got tougher.**

"You should have went and got a teacher to help." Chloe shrugged, "It would have taken longer."

**The backstage dissolved into smaller areas curtained off for storage and makeshift dressing rooms. There were lights, but someone else always turned them on. After feeling along the nearest wall and not finding a switch, I gave up. The faint glow of the emergency lights let me see shapes. Good enough.**

"Not good enough," Derek muttered.

**Still, it was pretty dark. I'm afraid of the dark. I had some bad experiences as a child,**

Oh, here we go; I thought.

**-imaginary friends who lurked in dark places and scared me. I know that sounds weird. Other kids dream up playmates- I dream up bogeymen.**

"That weird," Simon said. Chloe nodded, "I guess it was a necromancer thing." "Or maybe it wasn't," Derek said.

**The smell of greasepaint told me I was in the dressing area, but the scent, mingled with the unmistakable odor of mothballs and old costumes, didn't calm me the way it usually did.**

I wrinkled up noise again. "Those smells calm you?" Chloe smile insolently.

**Three more steps and I did let out a shriek as fabric billowed around me. I'd stumbled into a curtain. **

Simon and I snickered and I could tell Derek was trying to hold in his laughter for Chloe's sake. "It's not that funny," she said crossing her arms.

**Great. Exactly how loud had I screamed? I really hoped these walls were soundproof. **

"What if they weren't," I said sending all into around of snickers. Chloe gave us a mean star.

**I swept my hand over the scratchy polyester until I found the opening and parted the curtains. Ahead, I could make out the lunch table. Something yellow sat on top. My bag? The makeshift hall seemed to stretch before me, yawning into darkness. It was the perspective- the two curtained sides angled inward, so the hall narrowed. Interesting illusion, especially for a suspense film.**

"Do you make every situation into a movie scene?" I asked Chloe who shrugged. "Not just when I terrified."

**I'd have to remember that.**

**Thinking about the corridor as a movie set calmed my nerves. I framed the shot, the bounce of my step adding a jerkiness that would have made the scene more immediate, putting the viewer in the head of our protagonist, the foolish girl making her way towards the strange noise.**

"That's the part were the adduce yells don't go to the strange noise," Simon said. I took the writing pad and hit Simon in the head with it. "Hay!" "Stop interrupting me."

**Something thumped. I started, and my shoes squeaked and that noise made me jump higher. I rubbed the goose bumps on my arms and tried to laugh. Okay, I did say strange noise, didn't I? Cue the sound effects, please.**

"Maybe you were hearing thing," Derek suggested but Chloe shook her head 'no'.

**Another noise. A rustling. So we had rats in our spooky corridor, did we? How clichéd. Time to turn off my galloping imagination and focus. Direct the scene.**

_**Our protagonist sees something at the end of the corridor. A shadowy figure-**_

"Shadowy figure?" Simon said but shut up when I gave him a look.

**Oh, please. Talk about cheap thrills. Go for original… mysterious…**

**Take two. **_**What's that she sees? A child's lunch bag, bright yellow and new, out of place in this old, condemned house.**_

**Keep the film rolling. Don't let my mind wander-**

**A sob echoed through the silent rooms, then broke off, dissolving into a wet snuffling. Crying. Right. From my movie. The protagonist sees a child's lunch bag, then hears eerie sobs. Something moved at the end of the hall. A dark shape-**

**I flung myself forward, racing for my bag. I grabbed it and took off.**

I chucked the book at Chloe, probably not the nicest thing to do but oh well. "You can read now." Simon made a choking noise and we all glanced at him with raised eyebrows. "I wanted to read again." Idiot, I thought as Chloe handed the book over to him.

**Read and Review please!**


	5. Reading Chapter 3

**Hey everyone. So here is chapter three from the book. I want to give a shout out to _Emmoria _who kind of gave me the idea for this chaper from her review. It's Simons proloug again, and I know I have yet to put one in Derek's so maybe the next or maybe not. Liz will be popping up soon so the next chapter could be hers. I'll just try to keep you guys suprised. ;)**

**A/W: I dont own DP**

**SPROV**

"**Chloe! Hold up!" I'd just dumped my uneaten lunch in my locker and was walking away when Nate hailed me. I turned to see him edging sideways through a group of girls. The bell sounded and the hall erupted, kids jostling like salmon fighting their way upstream, carrying along anything in their path. Nate had to struggle to reach me.**

"He must be part salmon if he can jump through the crowd in a school hallway during class change." I said remembering my own experiences back at my old school.

"**You took off from film club before I could grab you. I wanted to ask if you're going to the dance."**

Out of the corner of my eyes I saw D put a protective arm around Chloe.

"**Tomorrow? Umm, yeah."**

**He flashed a dimpled grin. "Great. See you there."**

My brother let out a low throaty growl. "Derek," Chloe said softly blushing a little. "Nothing happened and if it did it would matter." She kissed his cheek and Tori let out a fake gag.

I felt a pain of jealousy. Sure I liked Chloe a lot but I knew how she felt about my brother. They really needed each other, and I know one thing for sure he better take care of her.

**A swarm of kids engulfed him. I stood there, staring after him. Had Nate just tracked me down to ask if I was going to the dance? It wasn't the same as asking me **_**to**_** the dance, but still… I definitely was going to need to rethink my outfit. **

"You probably still picked out a terrible outfit." Tori said and Chloe through a pillow at. It missed and she settled for a playful glare.

**A senior whacked into me, knocking off my backpack and muttering about "standing in the middle of the hall." As I bent to grab my bag, I felt a gush between my legs.**

We all looked up at Chloe to see her face as red as fire truck. Derek and removed his arm from around her and was giving her an unreadable look. She lowered her face from our gazes.

"Maybe Tori should read the next part." She mumbled; before I could ask why Tori ripped the book out my hand. Leaving me with words of protests.

**Oh God. Had I just wet myself? I took a deep breath. Maybe I **_**was**_** sick. My stomach had been dancing all day. **_**See if you can clean it up if it's bad, take a cab home. **_**In the bathroom, I pulled down my pants and saw bright red.**

My face was blank. Thank god for Tori at this moment. I looked over at D and saw his face was as blank and unreadable as mine probably was. I shuttered just thinking about girly stuff like that, so I try not to. I am so glad that I'm not a girl.

**For a couple of minutes, I just sat there, on the toilet, grinning like an idiot and hoping that the rumor about school bathroom cams wasn't true.**

"It is true," Tori said and we gave her horrified looks. She rolled her eyes, "Oh relax. The have them angled so they can't see into the stall; that way they cans see who comes and goes."

"That's still really creepy," Chloe said and the rest of us agread.

**I balled up toilet paper in my panties, pulled up my jeans, and waddled out of the stall. And there it was, a sight that had mocked me since fall: the sanitary napkin dispenser. **

"Why is there a napkin dispenser in the bathroom?" I wondered dumfounded. "It's for real napkins idiot." Tori said and I replied with an "Uh? TMI."

**I reached into my back pocket and pulled out a five dollar bill, a ten and two pennies. Back into the stall. Scavenge through my backpack. Find… one nickel. I eyed the machine.**

** Drew closer. Examined the scratched lock, the one Beth said could be opened with a long fingernail. Mine weren't long, but my house key worked just fine.**

Tori paused and faked gasped, "Chloe you wouldn't."

**A banner week for me. Getting shorted-listed for the director spot. Nate asking me about the dance. My first period. And now my first criminal act.**

"First?" Derek said an eyebrow raised. "This was before you were a wanted fugitive right?" Chloe nodded and bit her lip trying to hide a laugh.

**After I fixed myself up, I dug into my backpack for my brush and emerged instead with the tub of hair color. I lifted it. My reflection in the mirror grinned back at me. **

**Why not add "fist skipped class" and "first dye job" to the list? Coloring my hair at the school bathroom sink wouldn't be easy, but it would probably be simpler than at home, with Annette hovering.**

"If your housekeeper was such a pain Chloe why didn't you fire her I mean your where practically in charge of her anyways right." Tori said. "Because she's better than that,' I said.

**Dying a dozen bright red streaks took twenty minutes. I'd had to take off my shirt to avoid getting dye on it, so I was standing over the sink in my bra and jeans. **

**Luckily no one came in. I finished squeezing the strands dry with paper towel, took a deep breath, looked… and smiled. Kari had been right. It did look good. Annette would freak. **

**My dad might notice. Might even get mad. But I was pretty sure no one was going to hand me a twelve-and-under menu anymore.**

We all snickered a little at that except for Chloe.

**The door creaked. I shoved the towels in the trash, grabbed my shirt, and dashed into the stall. I barely had time to latch the door before the other girl started crying. I glanced over and saw a pair of Reeboks in the next stall.**

"Who would come to the bathroom to cry it so… germy." Tori said and wrinkled her noise.

**Should I ask whether she was okay? Or would that embarrass her? The toilet flushed and the shadow at my feet shifted. The stall lock clicked open. When the tapa started, though, her sobs got even louder. **

"She got some problems," I said and received a look for the gang. "I'm pretty sure we all got that Simon," Derek said with an eye roll. "Hey," I said glumly.

**The water shut off. The towel roll squeaked. Paper crumpled. The door opened. It shut. The crying continued. A cold finger slid down my spine. I told myself she'd changed her mind, and was staying until she got things under control, but the crying was right beside me. In the next stall. **

"What? Ok now I'm confused," I said. "When aren't you?" Tori said; she is such a drama queen. "Isn't it obvious?" Chloe said, "She was a ghost." Oh, well now it makes since, I thought.

**I squeezed my hands into fists. I t was just my imagination. I slowly bent. No shoes in any of the stalls. The crying stopped. I yanked my shirt on and hurried from the bathroom before it could start again. **

"I wonder how she died," Derek said. "And why she was in the school bathroom?" He had a point but then again it was Derek.

**As the door shut behind me, all went silent. An empty hall. "You!" I spun to see a custodian walking towards me, and I breathed a sigh of relief. "Th-the bathroom." I said. "I was using the bathroom."**

"Was that the ghost that you saw that got you sent to Lyle House?" Derek asked his head cocked to the side concern in his eyes. Chloe nodded and gulped but didn't say anything.

**He kept coming. I didn't recognize him. He was maybe my dad's age, with a brush cut, wearing a school janitorial uniform. A temp, filling in for Mr. Teitlebaum. "I-I'm heading to class now." I started walking. "You! Get back here. I want to talk to you."**

"Oh right, because a guy saying that isn't creepy." Tori said with a sarcastic tone.

**The only other sound was my footsteps. My footsteps. Why couldn't I hear his? I walked faster.**

"Strange," Derek muttered. "That you didn't know he was a ghost already." "Are you implying that I'm dumb?" Chloe asked her arms crossed. "What?" Derek looked panicked. "Hum, no, wait what?" Tori and I snickered.

**A blur passed me. The air shimmered about ten feet ahead, a figure taking form in a custodian's shirt and slacks. I wheeled and broke into a run. The man let out a snarl that echoed down the hall.**

** A student rounded the corner, and we almost collided. I stammered an apology and glanced over my shoulder. The janitor was gone.**

"Where'd he go?" I asked and Chloe shrugged. "I think he was still there."

**I exhaled and closed my eyes. When I opened them, the blue uniform shirt was inches from my face. I looked up… and let out a shriek. He looked like a mannequin that had gotten too close to a fire.**

"Ewe," Tori wined. "That is decussating." "Don't be such a girl Tori," I said in a fake high falsetto. She socked me in the arm and I feel face first off the bed, "Oh," I groaned.

**Face burned. Melted. One eye bulged, exposed. The other eye had slid down near his cheekbone, the whole cheek sagging, lips drooping, skin shiny and misshapen and –**

Ok so that was a little decussating. I had hold down my gag.

**The twisted lips parted. "Maybe now you'll pay attention to me." I ran headlong down the hall. As I flew past one classroom door, it opened. "Chloe?" A man's voice. I kept running.**

"The janitor?" "No," Chloe said, "Some teacher."

**"Talk to me!" the horrible, garbled voice snarled, getting closer. "Do you know how long I've been trapped here?" I flew through the doors into the stairwell and headed up.**

**Up? All the stupid heroines go up!**

"True," I mused. "It's an unfortunate truth," Chloe said a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

**I veered across the landing and hit the next set of stairs. The custodian limped up the flight below, fingers clutching the railing, melted fingers, bone peeking through-**

"Chloe you don't look so good," Derek said. Infact she was really pale. She shook her head, "I'm fine."

**I barrelled through the doors and raced along the main hall. "Listen to me, you selfish brat. All I want is five minutes-"**

D's hand balled into fists. "You should have just walked away." "How was she supposed to do that moran the creep was chasing her." Tori saids; Chloe said nothing.

**I swerved into the nearest empty classroom and slammed the door. As I backed into the center of the room, the custodian stepped through the door. Right through it. The awful melted face was gone, and he was normal again. **

"If he was solid I would have punched him if it were me," Tori said.

**"Is that better? Now will you stop screaming and talk to-" **

**I darted to the window and started looking for a window and started looking for a way to open it, then saw how far down it was. At least thirty feet… onto pavement**

"Do not even think about it Chloe." Derek said talking to the yellow pad. We all looked at him like he had lost it.

**"Chloe!" The door flew open. It was the vice principal, Ms Waugh, with my math teacher, Mr Travis, and a music teacher whose name I couldn't remember. Seeing me at the window, Ms Waugh threw out her arms, blocking the two men. **

**"Chloe?" She said, voice low. "Honey, you need to step away from that window."**

**"I was just-"**

**"Chloe…" Confused. I glanced back towards the window. **

"The thing that gets me is; why would the vice -principal's office unlocked?" "Yeah," I agreed it was pretty suspicious.

**Mr Travis shot past Ms Waugh and tackled me. As we hit the floor, the air flew out of my lungs. Scrambling off, he accidentally kneed me in the stomach. I fell back, doubled over, wheezing.**

"Ouch," I mumbled under my breath.

**I opened my eyes to see the custodian standing over me. I screamed and tried to get up, but Mr. Travis and the music teacher held me down while Ms Waugh babbled into a cell phone.**

** The custodian leaned through Mr. Travis. "Now will you talk to me, girl? Can't get away."**

"I swear if there is one more gross thing in this book then I'm going to give to art brains to read." Tori said and I rolled my eyes, she saw and elbowed me in the stomach.

**I thrashed, kicking at the custodian, trying to pull away from the teachers. They only held me tighter. I vaguely heard Ms Waugh calling that help was on the way.**

** The custodian pushed his face into mine and it changed to that horrible melted mask, so close I was staring into his one bulging eye, almost out of its socket.**

"That is it," Tori said and tossed the pad to me. She got up heading for the door. "Where are you going?" Chloe asked, "To go barf be back in a minute." "She's so charming," I muttered sarcastically and picked up the pad.

**I chomped down on my tongue so I wouldn't scream. Blood filled my mouth. The more I fought, the harder the teachers restrained me, twisting my arms, pain stabbing through me.**

** "Can't you see him?" I shouted. "He's right there. Please. Please, please, please. Get him away from me. Get him away!"**

"They thought I was crazy," Chloe said and lowered her head.

**They wouldn't listen. I continued to struggle, to argue, but they held me still as the burned man taunted me.**

Derek frowned deeply, and I glanced worriedly at him.

**Finally, two men in uniforms hurried through the door. One helped the teachers restrain me while the other moved behind, out of my sight. **

**Fingers tightened on my forearm. Then a needle prick. Ice slid through my veins.**

Derek looked shocked. "They drugged you?" Chloe nodded, "I fought against them which gave them a right too." Derek shook his head, "No it doesn't but then again it's the Edison group were talking about."

**The room started to sway. The custodian faded, blinking in and out. "No!" he yelled. **

**"I need to speak to her. Don't you understand? She can hear me. I only want to…"His voice faded as the paramedics lowered me onto a stretcher.**

Looking up at Chloe I saw she had a distant look on her face. "Hey, guys why don't we take a break and grab some lunch?" Derek nodded, "Sounds good." We headed out to find Dad and Chloe's Aunt.

**The next chapter is pretty short but I'm not sure if I'll get it up any faster but I'll try. R&R!**


	6. Reading Chapter 4

**Okay guys I am so sorry that I'm not updating as fast as I said I would. So I telling you know I only going to update once a week and it will either be Saturday or Sunday late in the evening. This chapter is a little slow I think because I really wasn't much I could do with it so it refers back a lot to different parts in the darkest powers books. I was going make this chapter a 'break' chapter where I just write about the charters doing thing and putting some Cherek stuff in there but I didn't get a chance to. I will be doing once soon though I promise there will just maybe one or two more chapters before it. So quick question have any of you read 'The Mark of Athena' yet? I am dying to read that book.**

**Note: don't own Dp**

**DPROV**

We ate at a small local sandwich shop for lunch. Despite my protests it was still dad's decision. The food didn't look remotely healthy at all and I was worried about what Simon was going to.

In the end with my constant bricking and nagging at him he finely settled on getting a salad. Which didn't look much better. I had a foot long with a small bag of chips.

Chloe didn't eat much taking small nibbles of her sandwich and munching on some chips.

She offered me the rest of her sandwich and I didn't refuse. We all ate quickly anxious to get back to reading, but none of us tried to show how much we each wanted to head back to the hotel. When my dad van pulled into the parking lot all of us partially sprinted to the rooms. One we were settled Simon handed the writing pad to me.

**I sat on the edge of my hospital bed and tried to persuade myself I was still asleep. That was the best explanation for what I was hearing. I could also chalk it up to **_**delusional, **_**but I preferred **_**dreaming.**_

Tori snorted but said nothing. While I saw Simon frown out of the corner of my eye.

**Aunt Lauren sat beside me, holding my hand. My eyes went to the nurses gliding past in the corridor. She fallowed my gaze, rose, and shut the door. Through the glaze of tears, I watched her and pictured mom instead. Something inside me crumpled, and I was six years old, huddled on the bed, crying for my mother.**

I reached over and tucked Chloe into my side as I continued reading. She barred her face in my shoulder and closed her eyes. I know it could be easy for her to hear this much less write about it.

**I rubbed my hands over the covers, stiff and scratchy, catching at my dry skin. The room was so hot every breath made my parched throat tighten. Aunt Lauren handed me my water, and I wrapped my hands around the cool glass. The water had a metallic taste but I gulped it down.**

"Ewe," Tori said. "Doesn't blood have a metallic taste to it?" She asked and looked straight at me; I glanced around at the others and shrugged not really wanting to answer her question.

Blood actually did have a metallic taste but I knew that from the time I bit my tong when I was little, not from hunting but I didn't want to say anything that would seem creepy.

"**A group home," I said. The walls seemed to stuck the words from my mouth, like a sound stage, absorbing them and leaving only dried air. "Oh God, Chloe." She pulled a tissue from her pocket and wiped her noise.**

"Yes a group home, it's such a tragedy." Tori said sarcastically as she interrupted me. I glared at her and she shut her mouth only to glare back. I cleared my throat and continued reading.

"**Do you know how many times I've had to tell a patient he's dying? And somehow, this seams harder." She shifted to face me. "I know how badly you want to go to UCLA for college. This is the only way we're going to get you there, hon."**

"UCLA is a pretty cool collage." Simon said. Chloe's eyes were open though her head was still on my shoulder. "Yeah," she said with a sad sigh. "I'll defiantly never get to go there now."

I much as it killed me I had to agree; I couldn't go to the college I wanted to either now. But I mean what did we aspect going from hotel to hotel now days. As if reading my thoughts Chloe said, "Will have to stop somewhere eventually." I just nodded not wanting to say anything.

"**Is it Dad?" She paused, and I knew she'd like to blame him. She'd wanted to raise me after my mom passed away, spare me a life of housekeepers and empty apartments. She'd never forgiven my father for refusing. **

**Just like she'd never forgive him for the night my mother died. It didn't matter that they'd been sideswiped in a hit-and-run-he'd been driving, so she held him responsible. **

"I mentally winched I know

"**No," she said finally. "It's the school. Unless you spend two weeks undergoing evaluation in a group home, it will go on your permanent record." **

"I wouldn't care if it was put on my permanent record," Tori said. We all gave her a look. "Ok I would care a little then," she admitted and I rolled my eyes. "But probably not much now."

"**What will go on my record?" Her fist clenched around the tissue. "It's that da-" She caught herself. "It's a zero-tolerance policy." She spit the words with more venom than the curse. **

"Zero-tolerance policy?" Simon repeated testing the words out on his tong. "That when you should have known that your Aunt was lying." Tori said, "My mom said the same crap to me." I grunted, "They all told us something like that."

"**Zero tolerance? You mean violence? B-b-but I didn't-" "I know you didn't. But to them, it's simple. You struggled with a teacher. You need help." In a home. For crazy kids. I awoke several times that night.**

"A scary thought like being stuck in home with crazy kids like us will do that to you." Simon joked and Chloe tossed a pillow in the direction of his head. While Tori punched his shoulder. "Bro a little help," he asked. "There ganging up on me." I just rolled my eyes, "Sorry busy." I said and held up the yellow pad.

**The second time, my father was in the doorway, watching me. The third, he was sitting beside my bed. Seeing my eyes open, he reached over and awkwardly patted my hand. "It's going to be all right." I fell back asleep.**

"Very touching moment there," Tori said. "Your one to talk," Chloe snapped and we all went silent. "Sorry," she mumbled. "It's just he's my Dad and even though he wasn't always there he did his best." She let out a sigh, "And I miss him," she whispered.

**My father was still there the next morning. His eyes were bleary, the wrinkles around his mouth deeper then I remembered. **

**He'd been up all night, flying back from Berlin. I don't think Dad ever wanted kids. But he'd never tell me that, even in anger.**

This time Tori was quite deep in thought about something or someone, and Chloe was giving her worried looks.

**Whatever Aunt Lauren thinks of him, he does his best. He just doesn't seem to know what to make of me. I'm like the puppy left to him by someone he loved very much, and he struggles to do right by it even if he isn't much of a dog person. **

I snorted as she compared herself to puppy even though she's as cute as one. I blushed slightly just thinking about that, and Chloe gave me and odd look.

"**You changed your hair," he said as I sat up. I braced myself. When you run screaming through the school halls after dying your hair in the girls bathroom, the first thing people say-well, after they get past the screaming-through-the- halls part-is "you were doing **_**what**_**?**

**" Coloring your hair in a school bathroom isn't normal. Not for girls like me. And bright red streaks? While skipping class? It screams **_**mental breakdown**_**.**

"Oh god Chloe you changed your hair color you must be insane." Simon said in a fake tragic voice. She stuck her tong out at him, "Then I guess your insane too; since you have such natural blond hair that you got from the sun."

Simons face paled then turned red from embarrassment while Chloe and I tried to keep out laughter to ourselves. "What are you guys talking about?" Tori asked; I cleared my throat, "Nothing," and continued reading.

"**Do you like it?" My father asked after a moment. I nodded. He paused, then let out a strained chuckle. "Well, it's not exactly what I would have chosen, but it looks all right. If you like it that's what counts." **

**He scratched his throat, peppered with a beard shadow. "I guess your Aunt Lauren told you about this group home business. She's found one she thinks will be okay. Small, private. Can't say I'm thrilled with the idea, but it's only for a couple of weeks…."**

"Yeah and look how well that turned out," Chloe said shaking her head. "I guess I shouldn't complain because if I hadn't have gone to Lyle House I would have never met you guys." Tori scrunched up her noise, "Chloe if you're going to start in with that mushy crap I'll leave."

"Please leave," Simon murmured and Tori hit him with a knock back spell. "Hay," I yelled. "Both of you knock it off before some see's."

**No one would say what was wrong with me. They had me talk to a bunch of doctors and they ran some tests, and I could tell they had a good idea what was wrong and just wouldn't say it. The meant it was bad.**

"Scary bad," Simon said and put on a fake scared face. I rolled my eyes at my brother; he was defiantly the over dramatic one.

**This wasn't the first time I'd seen people who weren't really there. That's what Aunt Laruen had wanted to talk to me about after school. **

**When I mentioned the dream, she'd remember how I used to talk about people in our old basement. My parent figured it was my creative version of make-believe friends, inventing a whole cast of characters. **

"Most kids do," I said. Everyone stared at me. "Just saying," I grunted out.

**Then those friends started terrifying me, so much that we'd moved. Even after that, I'd sometimes "seen" people, so my mom bought me my ruby necklace and said it would protect me. Dad said it was all in psychology.**

"That is psychology isn't it?" Tori asked confused. "It would be if Chloe was a normal little kid but I guess the necklace really did help her stop seeing ghost." Someone cleared there through, "Um still here," Chloe said raising her eyebrows at us.

**I'd believed it worked, so it had. But now, it was happening again. And this time, no one was chalking it up to an overactive imagination. They were sending me to a home for crazy kids. They thought I was crazy. I wasn't. **

"Or were you," Simon said rubbing his pretend beard. "Or were you," Tori mocked and elbowed him. "Grow up why don't you Simon." Simon stuck his tong out her and Tori was about to snap at him when I interrupted them by continuing reading.

**I was fifteen and I had finely gotten my period and that had to count for something. It couldn't just be a coincidence that I'd started seeing things the same day. **

**All those stockpiled hormones had exploded from my brain misfired, plucking images from forgotten movies and tricking me into thinking they were real.**

"There you go comparing things to movies again." Tori told Chloe and Chloe just giggled and rolled her eyes at Tori.

**If I was crazy, I'd be doing more than seeing and hearing people who weren't there. I'd be acting crazy, and I wasn't. Was I? The more I thought about it, the more I wasn't sure. **

**I felt normal. I couldn't remember doing anything weird. Except for dying my hair in the bathroom. And skipping class. And breaking into the napkin dispenser. And fighting with a teacher. **

"Technically you didn't really fight them, it was self-defiance." Simon pointed out.

**That last one didn't count. I'd been freaked out from seeing that burned guy and I'd been struggling to get away from him, not trying to hurt anyone. Before that, I'd been fine. My friends thought I was fine. Mr. Petrie thought I was fine when he put me on the director short list.**

"Which I didn't get," Chloe said grumpily.

**Nate Bozian obviously thought I was fine. You wouldn't be happy that a crazy girl was going to the dance. He had been happy hadn't he? When I thought back, it all seemed fuzzy, like some distant memory that maybe I only dreamed. **

"Don't we all wish that," I grumbled. Chloe glared at me. "No need to get jealous Der," she said. And Simon and Tori snickered at the nickname and I growled shutting them up.

**What if none of that happened? I'd **_**wanted**_** the director spot.**

** I **_**wanted**_** Nate to be interested in me. Maybe I'd imagined it all. Hallucinated it, like the boy on the street and the crying girl and burned janitor. If I was crazy, would I know it? That's what being crazy was, wasn't it? You thought you were fine. Everyone else new better. Maybe I was crazy.**

"We're all are crazy," Simon said agreeing with Chloe's book self.

**My father and Aunt Lauren drove me to Lyle House on Sunday afternoon. They'd given me some medication before I left the hospital and it made me sleepy. Our arrival was a montage of still shots and clips. A huge white Victorian house perched on an oversized lot. Yellow trim. A swing on the wraparound porch.**

"They make it look all nice and sweet but once your there they try brain wash you and suck out your soul." Tori said in a fake sinister voice.

**Two women. The first, gray haired and wide hipped, coming forward to greet me. The younger one's dour eyes fallowing me, her arms crossed, braced for trouble. Walking up a long narrow flight of stairs. The older women- a nurse, who introduced herself as Mrs. Talbot- chirping a guided tour my fuzzy brain couldn't fallow.**

Chloe shook her head, "I barely remember any of that." I frown, "They must have drugged you; but with what? What did the meds look like that they gave you?" She thought about it for a minute, "I don't remember."

**A bedroom, white and yellow, decorated with daisies, smelling of hair gel. On the far side of the room, a twin bed with a quilt yanked over the bundled up sheets. **

**The walls over the bed decorated with pages ripped from teen magazines. The dresser covered with makeup tubes and** **bottles. Only the tiny desk bare.**

"All of the rooms where laid out the same," Tori complained. "They were so boring and didn't have any color to them."

**My side of the room was a sterile mirror image-same bed, same dresser, same tiny desk, all wiped clean of personality. **

**Time for Dad and Aunt Lauren to go. Mrs. Talbot explained I wouldn't see them for a couple of days because I needed time to "acclimate" to my new "environment." Like a pet in a new home. Hugging Aunt Lauren. Pretending I didn't see the tears in her eyes. **

"I'm just glad that she was on our side in the end. I don't know what I would have done if I lost Aunt Lauren too."

**An awkward embrace from Dad. He mumbled that he'd stay in town, and he'd would come visit as soon as they'd let him. Then he presses a roll of twenties into my hand as he kissed the top of my head.**

"That's the kind of good bye every kid wants from their parents." "Tori," we all said as a grown. "What? I meant getting the roll of twenties."

**Mrs. Talbot telling me they'd put my things away, since I was probably tired. Just crawl into bed. The blind closing. Room going dark. Falling back to sleep. My father's voice waking me. Room completely dark now, black outside. Night. **

"Man, you must have been really drugged." "Simon," I growled. "What? Oh, um sorry Chlo." She smiled at him, "It's okay."

**Dad silhouetted in the doorway. The younger nurse-Miss Van Dop—behind him, face set in disapproval. My father moving beside me and pressing something soft into my arms.**

** "We forgot Ozzie. I wasn't sure you'd sleep without him." The koala bear had been on a shelf in my room for two years, banished from my bed when I'd outgrown him. But I took him and buried my noise in his ratty fake fur that smelled of home.**

"You slept with a stuffed animal until you were thirteen?" Tori asked eyebrows raised. Chloe's face was read. "I was twelve not thirteen."

**I awoke to the wheezy sleep breathing of the girl in the next bed. I looked over but saw only a form under the quilt. As I turned back, hot tears slid down my cheeks. Not homesickness. Shame. Embarrassment. Humiliation. **

We all glanced at Chloe who had her face buried in my shoulder again so we couldn't see her expression.

**I'd scared Aunt Lauren and Dad. They'd had to scramble to figure out what to do with me. What was wrong with me. How to fix it. And school… My cheeks burned hotter than my tears.**

"Nothing wrong with you Chloe," Simon said. "Yeah, if something were wrong with you then something defiantly got to be wrong with him." Tori said pointing towage Simon who frown in confusion.

**How many kids had heard me screaming? Peeked in that classroom while I'd been fighting the teachers babbling about being chased by melted custodians. Seen me being taken away strapped to a stretcher. Anyone who'd missed the drama would have heard about it.**

"Gossip spreads fast," Tori said with a smirk, "Unfortunately."

**Everyone would know that Chloe Saunders had lost it. That she was nuts, crazy, locked up with the rest of the loonies. Even if they let me return to school, I didn't think I'd ever have the guts to go back.**

"Alright who's next?" I asked. Chloe lifted her head from my shoulder and plucked the pad from my fingers. I guess that meant she would. Suddenly she jumped the stiffened glancing back and forth around the room.

"Chloe?" I said unsure. I glanced at the other who both had worried looks on their faces. She must have found what she was looking for because Chloe's head turned to the left and smiled.

**CPROV**

"Alright who's next?" Derek asked and I sat up and reached over and took the writing pad from him with a teasing smile that probably would make Tori gag if she'd seen it. "I will." A light bubbly voice said and I froze.

I glanced around the room but did not see a ghost. To my left there was a simmer of something and I turned to see a young girl with blond hair wearing Mickey Mouse pajamas. "Hi Chloe," she said with a giggle and I couldn't help but to smile.

**So I would like some suggestions on my 'brake' chapter that I'm going to do. The setting is going to be in the evening so I guess it could have something to with Derek's changes or Chlo and Der going on a date. Maybe just the gang going out to eat or something like that, but I could really use some suggestions. _Please and thank you! _R&R**


	7. Reading Chapter 5

**So do you guys feel like 'people' in general just try to mush all the holidays' towage the end of the year together? I know I do it was even Halloween yet and I was in Wal-Mart and saw Christmas stuff out. That so ridiculous! And on the day after Halloween I saw some guy putting up a Christmas tree. I mean I know thanksgiving is only two weeks away from Halloween but there's no need to just mush it with charismas and forget about. Sorry for my ranting, I know a lot you probably don't care or don't want to hear it. Anyways enjoy!**

**I do not own Darkest Powers**

**CPROV**

"Hay Liz," I said my smile widening. "Liz?" Tori said glancing around as if she would she here. "There," I said and pointed. "Hi Liz," she said. All of her bad moods gone. "Tell Tori I said hi, and that I love her top." Liz asked.

When I told her she told Liz thanks and started asking her questions. I had replayed the answers for her. Simon said Hi to Liz too and Tori wacked him on the head and they started to argue. Meanwhile Derek and gotten up as was digging the bedside table dour.

He pulled out a small sticky note pad and a pen and gave them to me. "For Liz," he mumbled. "Good idea," I said and nodded. I laid them down next to where Liz was sitting well floating really, and we continued reading.

**I woke to the **_**CLINK-CLINK **_**of metal hangers. A blond girl flipped through clothes that I'm pretty sure were mine, hung up yesterday by Mrs. Talbot.**

"Liz," Tori said with a slight smile at the mention of her old friend.

**"****Hello," I said.****She turned and smiled. "Nice stuff. Good labels."**

"Some," Tori said and gave me a pointed look which I rolled my eyes at.

**"****I'm Chloe."**** "****Liz. Like Lizzie McGuire." She waved at an old and faded magazine cut-out on her wall. "Except, I don't go by Lizzie, 'cause I think it sounds kind of-" she lowered her voice, as if not to offend the picture Lizzie "-babyish."**

"Lizzie," Tori said a huge smile on her face trying to keep her laughing detained. "Tori," Liz wined to my left. "It's not that funny." I laughed and told her what Liz had said.

**She continued talking, but I didn't hear it because all I could think was, What's wrong with her? If she was at Lyle House, there was something wrong with her. Some "mental condition".**

Everyone was giving me a look and I laughed nervously. "Sorry Liz," I said. She smiled at me; "Don't sweet it Chloe. I'm sure we all thought the same thing when we first came to Lyle House." She glanced at the others, "Well maybe not."

**She didn't look crazy. Her long hair was brushed into a gleaming ponytail. She wore Guess jeans and a Gap T-shirt. If I didn't know better, I'd say I'd woken up in a boarding school. **

"That would be buzzier," Simon said. "Not really," Derek said. "Anywhere is better than Lyle House." Simon thought about, "It wasn't that bad."

**She kept talking. Maybe that was a sign.****She seemed harmless enough, though. She'd have to be, wouldn't she? They wouldn't put anyone dangerous in here. Or **_**really **_**crazy.**

"Of course not Chloe," Tori said in false tone. "They just put big guys with anger management problems in there." We all stared at Tori in silence. Though she didn't know how Derek had ended up a Lyle House like I did she still hit a nerve. Derek got up heading for the door, "I need some air. Keeping going without me." When I started to fallow Simon waved me down, "He'll be fine." _Not Nice Tori. _Liz wrought on a sticky not and stuck on her forehead; I had to agree.

_**Oh no, Chloe. They don't put any really crazy people in here. Just the ones who hear voices and see burned**_**-**_**up janitors and fight with teachers. **_**My stomach started to ache. "Come on," she said. "Breakfast's in five minutes, and they get real snippy if you're late." Liz put out a hand as I opened a dresser drawer. "You can wear you pajamas down to breakfast. The guys eat lunch and dinner with us, but they have breakfast later, so we get some privacy."**

"You guy had to get up early then up to eat? Well earlier then us." Simon said to himself deep in thought.

"**Guy?" **

"**Simon, Derek, Peter."**

"**The house is coed?" **

"**Uh-huh." She pursed her lips in the mirror and picked off a dry flake. "We all share the bottom floor, but the top is divided."**

"Which was stupid," Tori muttered to herself. _Why Tori? Planning to sneak over to meet someone? Simon maybe? _Liz wrought on another stick note. Tori read this and made a face. "Uh absolutely not." I laughed to myself they still had no idea that they were related.

**She leaned out the door and showed me how short the hall was. "They get to the other side. There's not even a joining door. Like we'd sneak over there at night if we could." **

**She giggled, "Well, Tori would. And I might, if there was someone worth sneaking over for. Tori has dibs on Simon." She scrutinized me in the mirror. "You might like Peter. He's cute but way too young for me. He's thirteen. Almost fourteen, I think."**

Tori snickered and I glared at her. "Sorry Chloe," Liz said with a giggle. "It's fine," I said, felling mutual. Thing like that used to happen all the time.

"**I'm fifteen." She bit her lip. "Oh, geez. Um, anyways. Peter won't be around much longer. I heard he's going home soon." She paused. "Fifteen, huh? What grade?"**

"**Ninth."**

"**Same as Tori. I'm in tenth, like Simon, Derek, and Rae. I think Simon and Rae are still fifteen, though. And did I say I love your hair? I wanted to do that, with blue streaks, but my mom said…"**

"Liz," Tori shaking her head. "You're babbling." Liz smiled sheepishly at me and wrought to Tori. _Can't help it!_

**Liz kept up the commentary as we headed downstairs, moving on to the whole cast of charters. There was Dr. Gill, the psychologist, but she only came in the afternoon hours, as did the tutor Ms. Wang.**

_I never liked her. _Liz wrought on a sticky note and laid it in-between the group. "Why?" Simon asked. _Because she wasn't very nice._ "True," Simon said.

**I'd met two of the three nurses. Mrs. Talbot-the older woman, whom Liz proclaimed "really nice," and the younger Miss Van Dop, who was, she whispered, "not so nice."**

** The third nurse Mrs. Abdo, worked weekends, giving the others a day off. They lived in and looked after us. They sounded more like housemothers I'd heard boarding school kids talk about, but Liz called them nurses. **

Tori scrunched up her noise as if she had some bad experienced with the nurses. I was the only one who seemed to notice.

**At the bottom of the stairs, the overpowering stink of lemon cleaner hit me. It smelled like Gran's house. Even Dad never seemed comfortable in his mother's immaculate house, under the glare that said you'd better not expect any birthday money if you spelled your soda on the white leather sofa. **

"That would suck," Simon said. _Ditto_; Liz wrought.

**One look in this living room, though I breathed a sigh of relief. It was as clean as Gran's-the carpet spotless the wood gleaming-but it had been worn, comfortable look that invited you to curl up on the sofa.**

"And that's how they get you." Simon said making his voice deep. "You are so weird." Tori said staring at him as if he'd grown a second head. Simon just shrugged have no comment and opened a pack of crackers.

**It was also painted the favorite color of Lyle House-a pale yellow this time. Pillows covered the dark blue sofa and two rocking chairs. An old grandfather clock ticked in the corner. **

**Every end table held a vase of daisies or daffodils. Bright and cheerful. Too bright and cheerful, really, like this bed-and-breakfast near Syracuse Where Aunt Lauren and I sated at last fall—so desperate to be homey that it seemed more a stage set then someone's house.**

_Hate that feeling. _Liz wrought and I nodded. "Yeah it's just a creepy feeling." The others agreed.

**No different from this, I guess—a business eager to convince you it **_**wasn't**_** a business, to make you feel at home. To make you forget you were in a place for crazy kids. Liz stopped me outside the dining room so we could peek inside. On one side of the table sat a tall girl with short dark hair. **

**"That's Tori. Victoria, but she likes Tori. With an**_** i**_**. She's my best friend. She gets moody, and I've heard that's why she's here, but I think she's fine." She jerked her chin toward the other person at the table—a pretty, copper skinned girl with long curls. "That's Rachelle. Rae. She has this 'thing' for fire."**

Tori opened her mouth but I stopped her. "Tori don't, I know how you never liked Rae but you need to cut her some slack. She wouldn't believe me when I told her Liz was dead; she was too brain washed by the Edison Group."

"But she betrayed you." Tori snapped her tone filled with bitterness and I flinched. "She thought she was doing the right thing."

**I stared at the girl. Thing for fire? Did that mean she set fires? I thought this place was supposed to be safe. What about the boys? Were any of them violent? I rubbed my stomach. **

**"Someone's hungry, I see," chirped a voice. I glanced up to see Mrs. Talbot coming through what I guessed was the kitchen door, milk pitcher in hand. She smiled at me. "Come in, Chloe. Let me introduce you."**

"Mrs. T. was always a little too nice, if you know what I mean." Simon said; I nodded. "She was so old she probably had no idea about the Edison Group." "And if she did," Tori said. "She did a good job of hiding it."

**Before breakfast, Miss Van Dop gave us our pills, then watched as we took them. It was creepy. No one said a word, just held out their hands, gulped their pill down with water, and returned to their convocation.**

I shuttered. "It was always so strange. If I were still there I don't even think I would still be used to it." The others just shrugged, "It was just something we had to deal with."

**When I stared at mine, Miss Van Dop said the doctor would explain everything later, but for now, I should just take it. So I did.**

"Always following the rules." Tori said with an eye roll. A stick note came at here. _Tori be nice. _"I am nice," she said with a snort.

**After we'd eaten, we trooped upstairs to dress. Rae was in the lead, followed by Liz and Tori. Then me. "Rachelle?" Tori called. Rae's shoulders tightened and she didn't turn. "Yes, Victoria?"**

"Yes, Victoria?" Simon mimicked. Tori grabbed a pillow and started to beat him with it. She only got a few hits in before Liz ripped the pillow out of her grasp.

**Tori climbed two more steps, closing the gap between them. "You did get the laundry done, right? It's your turn, and I wanted to wear that new shirt my mom bought me." Rae turned slowly. "Mrs. T. said I could do laundry today, since we had to take off while-" her gaze lit on me, and she offered me a tiny, almost apologetic smile "—Chloe got settled."**

"She used you as bate against Tori, harsh." Simon got a lot of glared from Tori. I just shrugged.

"**So you didn't do the laundry."**

"**That's what I said." "But I want-"**

"**Your shirt. Got that part. So wear it. It's brand-new." "Yeah, and other people probably tried in on. That's gross." Rae threw up her hands and dispersed down the hall. Tori shot a scowl over her shoulder, as if it were my fault. **

**As she turned, something flashed between us, and I stumbled back a step, grabbing the railing. Her scowl twisted. "Geez, I'm not going to **_**hit**_** you." Over her shoulder, a hand appeared, pale fingers wriggling like worms.**

Everyone made a face expect for Liz who went "Ewe." "See that would freak even me out," Simon admitted.

"**Chloe?" Liz said. "I-I-I-" I peeled my gaze from the disembodied hand. "I t-tripped."**

"**Listen—girl-"A man's voice whispered in my ear. Liz came down the two steps between us and laid her hand on my arm. "Are you okay? You're all white." "I j-j-just thought I h-h-heard something."**

"Chloe you should have just told us." Liz said, "We could have helped somehow." I smiled sadly at here. I had a fear that there was going to be plenty of moments like that in the future and I won't have a good friend like Liz there when it does.

"**Why is she talking like that?" Tori asked Liz. "It's called a stutter." Liz squeezed my arm. "It's okay my brother stutters, too." "Your brother is **_**five, **_**Liz. Lots of little kids do it. Not teenagers." Tori peered down at me. "Are you slow?"**

_Tori that was rude. _"I could help it the way she reeled back away from me." _Still…_

"**What?" "You know do you ride the looong bus-" she pulled her hands apart, then brought them together again "—or the short one."**

Now Simon was glaring at Tori too. "Alight, I'm sorry." She said. Derek muttered something under his breath too low for me to hear. I slipped my hand into his; squeezing his gently.

**Liz flushed. "Tori, that's not-" "Well she talks like a little kid and she looks like one so…"**

"**I have a speech impediment," I said, enunciating carefully, as if she were the slow one. "I'm working to overcome it."**

"That's it don't take any of her crap Chlo." Simon said, talking to the book. _Chloe can stick up for herself. I've seen it. _"Well it just seems lie-" _Just be quite so she can read, _Liz interrupted. "Keep going," she told me.

"**You're doing great," Liz chirped. "You said that whole sentence without stuttering."**

"**Girls?" Mrs. Talbot peered around the hall doorway below. "You aren't supposed to fool around on the stairs. Someone could get hurt. Class in ten minutes. Chloe, we're still waiting for notes from your teachers, so you won't be in class today. When you're dressed will discuss your schedule."**

Simon made a face, "Lyle House did have too many schedule. I think it was just to keep us busy." We gave him a 'no duh!' look and Tori just snorted.

**Lyle House liked schedules the way a boot camp like discipline. We rose at 7:30. Ate, showered, dressed, and were in class by 9:00, where we did independent work assigned by our regular teachers, supervised by the tutor, Ms. Wang. Break at 10:30 for snack—nutritious, of course. Back to class from 1:00 until 4:30 with a twenty-minute break at 2:30. **

"Why did we even have snack brakes anyways? I'm mean were not in kindergarten." Tori said suddenly frustrated. _I don't know about you guys but I use to get hungry in the middle of the day._ Simon nodded. "Plus it was a good thing because they didn't really give us lunch."

**At some point during classes—the timing would vary—we'd have our individual hour-long therapy session with Dr. Gill; my first would be after lunch today. From 4:30 until 6:00, we had free time…kind of. In addition to classes and therapy, we had chores.**

"I never really did mine." Tori said examining her nail as if she were too good to do chores. _No, you made me do them for you. _"Sorry Liz," Tori had a look of gilt on her face. _It's okay, Tori. I forgive you. _Tori's face brightened as if she'd just won something fantastic.

**A lot of chores from the looks of the list. These had to be done during free time before and after dinner. Plus we had to squeeze in thirty minutes of physical activity every day. Then after a snack, it was off to bed at 9:00, lights—out at 10:00.**

_We're not kids but they treated us like we were. _"Speak for yourself," I said. "You're weren't getting 12 and under menus handed to you before you came there." Both Tori and Simon snickered at me. Derek rubbed soothing circles into my palm as he tried not to smile and I glared at him playfully.

**Nutritious snacks? Therapy sessions? Chores lists? Mandatory exercises? Nine o'clock bedtime? Boot camp was starting to look good. I didn't belong here. I really didn't.**

"None of us did," Liz whispered and I really wish she wasn't transparent because I wanted to give her a hug.

**After our talk, a phone call was sent to Mrs. Talbot scurrying off, calling back to promises to return with my job list. Oh joy. I sat in the living room trying to think, but the unrelenting cheerfulness was like a bright light shining in my eyes, making it hard to concentrate. A few days of yellow paint and daisies and I'd turn into a happy zombie, like Liz. **

My turn for the nasty looks. I put my hands up in defense. "Let me finish please there's more."

**I felt a pang of shame. Liz had made me feel welcome and been quick to defend me against her friend.**

Liz smiled at me, "And I would do it again. Don't tell Tori this but-" She cupped a hand over her mouth and wisped. Even though it didn't matter because I was the only one who could hear her but I wasn't going to be the one to point that put. "—she's terrible at meeting new people."

**If being cheerful was a mental illness, it wasn't such a bad one to have—certainly better than seeing burned-up people. I rubbed the back of my neck and closed my eyes.**

"Hop you're not picking up on Derek's habits," Simon joked. Derek scowled

**Lyle House wasn't so bad, really. Better than padded room sand endless hallways filled with real zombies, shambling mental patients so doped up they couldn't be bothered to get dressed, much less bathe.**

We all agreed. Anything was better than that. I suddenly got a strange image of me and my friends in strait jackets. All of us locked up in separate padded rooms. I shuddered.

**Maybe it was the illusion of home that bothered me. Maybe, in some ways, I'd be happier with ugly ouches and white walls and bars on windows, so there'd be no false promises. Yet just because I couldn't see any bars didn't mean it was as open as it seemed. It couldn't be.**

Derek nodded his head in approval. "Very true. I'm glad you thought of that." Simon stared off into space for a second. "Huh, I never thought of that." Tori snorted, "Wonder why?" _Tori! _

**I walked in front of the window. Closed, despite the sunny day. There was a hole where there'd probably been a latch for opening it. I looked out. Lots of trees, a quiet street, more older houses on big lots. No electric fences. No sign on the lawn proclaiming LYLE HOUSE FOR CRAXY KIDS. All very ordinary, but I suspected if I grabbed a chair and smashed the window, an alarm sound. **

"I saw the alarm when I first arrived. It's kind of hard to miss." Derek said. "Hay," I wined. "Give me a brake I was all doped up when they brought me in." "I know I saw you through the upstairs window." Hi cheeks darkened. "You looked cute." "Awe, thank you." I said and kissed him on the cheek. The others gaged and Derek showed them his middle finger.

**So where was the alarm? I stepped into the hall, glanced at the front door, and saw it, blinking away. No attempted to hide it. A reminder, I guess. This might look like your house, but don't try walking out the front door. **

"Exactly," Derek murmured. "I wonder if anyone has actually ever tried to walkout?" Simon asked himself. _Me too._ Liz wrought.

**What about the back? I went into the dining room and looked out the window into a large yard with as many trees as the front. There was a shed, lawn chairs, and gardens. The soccer ball was on one wooden chair and the basketball hoop over a cement pad suggested we were allowed out—probably for that "thirty minutes of physical activity."**

"I hated the thirty minutes of physical activity." Liz muttered to herself. "Why?" She made a face, "Because you got all sweaty." I chuckled.

**Was it monitored? I couldn't see any cameras, but there were enough windows for the nurses to keep an eye on anyone in the yard. And the six foot-high fence was a good deterrent. **

Simon chuckled, "Yep, it's not like it was that obvious that they were trying to keep us locked up." Tori looked at him, "You make no since what so ever." _He's has a point though;_ Liz wrought to Tori.

"**Looking for a way out?" I spun to see Miss Van Dop. Her eyes glittered with what looked like amusement, but the look in her face was solemn. "N-no. I w-was just looking around. Oh, and while I was getting dressed, I noticed I don't have my necklace. I think I might have left it in the hospital, and I want to make sure I get it back. It's kind of special." **

I fingered my pendent. "Defiantly special," I said and grinned. "Wasn't it red first?" Liz asked. I nodded, "Yeah, it was."

"**I'll let your father know, but he'll have to hold it for you while you're here. We don't like our girls wearing jewelry. Now, as for looking around…" In other words, nice try on the distraction, but it hasn't worked. She pulled a dining room chair and motioned for me to sit. I did.**

"**I'm sure you saw the security system at the front door," she said. "I—I wasn't-"**

"She you're not trying to escape Chloe," Tori said to the book with an eye roll. "She was testing you. Making sure you know all the rules."

"**Trying to escape. I know." The smile touched her lips. "Most of our residents aren't the sort of teenager who run away from home, unless it's to make a statement. They're bright enough to know that whatever is worse than what's in here. And what's in here isn't so bad**

Tori snorted, "I believe it was." "Well," Simon said. "Not really. The only bad part about was the crawl space." I shuttered and Derek put his arm around me. Tori just looked guilty.

**Not Disney world but not prison either. The only escape attempts we've ever had are from kids trying to sneak out to meet friends. Hardly serious, but parents expect better from us; and, while we pride ourselves on providing a homelike environment, I think it's important to point out the limits early."**

_And she's making sure of that._ "They always did that, at least from what I remember." Simon said and Derek nodded.

**She waited for a response. I nodded. "The windows are armed with siren, as are the exterior doors. Your aloud out back only, and there is no gate. Because of the alarm, you must notify us before going out, so we can disable it and, yes, watch you. If you have questions about what you can and cannot do, come to me. **

"Sounds more like a demand to me." Liz said to herself.

**I won't sugarcoat it for you Chloe. I believe honesty is the first step to establishing trust, and trust is critical in a place like this." Again her gaze pierced mine, probing, Making sure I understood the other side of that statement—that honesty went both ways and I was expected to keep up my end. I nodded.**

"Okay," I said. "Who wants to read next?" "I will," Liz offered. "Uh, Liz I glad you want too but I think that I'd be the only one that would hear you." Her face scrunched up. "Good point; make Tori read." Tossed the yellow pad to Tori, "Liz wants you to read." She groaned.

**Suggestions? Comments? Complaints?**


	8. Reading Chapter 6

**Hullo, to all of the people who are still fallowing me. I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a long time but I had some problems with this chapter, and you guys can totaly blame me for it because it was all my falt. You see I wasn't paying attention when I was transferring this chapter from the book to my computer and screwed up. I had to go back and look over it a lot and redo something. Anyways It's 8:18 on New Year's eave; hears my last entry of 2012 look forward to the new year I gradwate in June so I'm really stoked (I think I spelled that wrong, sorry) about that. I hope the new year is as good to all of you as I think it's going to be to me.**

**I don't own DP. **

**TPROV**

**Mrs. Talbot set me up to peel carrots for lunch. I didn't dare tell her I'd never peeled one in my life. After hacking my thumb, I got the hang of it. **

We all gave Chloe a blank stare. "What?" "Have you ever cooked before at all?" Simon asked bluntly. "Of cores I have," she said crossing her arms and sticking her noise up a little higher. "Cereal, doesn't count," I pointed out. She uncrossed her arms and made s face at me.

**As I peeled, my mind started to wander… into places I'd rather not visit. So I called in my best defense: turn it all into a movie.**

"Don't you always," I muttered

**As traumatic experiences went, the last few days were my best film fodder ever. But what genre would it be? Straight horror? Or psychological suspense? Maybe a combination of elements, surprising the viewer with-**

"I could talk about movie genres all day." Chloe said smiling sheepishly. "I think we got that," I said a little too sour but oh, well.

**"Peeling duty already?" a voice whispered. "What'd you do to deserve that?" This time, when I wheeled around, I didn't see a disembodied hand but a whole body. A guy, in fact, maybe a year older than me, a half foot taller and slender, with high cheekbones and dark blond hair worn in short, messy spikes. His almond-shaped brown eyes danced with amusement.**

We all looked at Simon. "Wow, good description Chlo but I think you forgot to mention incredibly attractive." He said to her wriggling his brows. I gaged, "On what plant would the abnormal spices consider you attractive." He pouted and I counted reading.

"**You must be Chloe."**

**He reached out. I jumped back. The carrot leaped from my hands and bounced off his arm. A real arm. Attached to a real guy.**

Simon chuckled as Chloe's cheeks turned pink. "Give me a break," She complained. "I was on the verge of actually thinking I was crazy." Simon just shook his head and continued to laugh. "Hold on I'll get him to stop." I took a cracker from the pack I was eating and shoved it in his mouth. "Tori," Derek said with a grunt. "Just keep reading."

**"****I-I-"**

**He put a finger to his lips, then pointed at the dining room door. Beyond it, Mrs Talbot was talking to Liz.**

_I remember seeing you guys,_ Liz wrought. _I was talking to Mrs. Talbot about doing my lessons in the dining room with Derek so I would have to put up with my poltergeist. Funny thing how my poltergeist was really me I mean could you have imagined…_ "Liz," I interrupted the scribbling pen that was flying on the paper. "You were babbling again." I told the peace of paper. _Sorry_, she wrote even though I really didn't mind.

**"I'm not supposed to be in here," he whispered. "I'm Simon, by the way."**

**I was suddenly aware that he was standing between me and the exit. His smile was friendly, and he was definitely cute, but cute didn't count with a guy who had you cornered in a group home.**

Simon held a hand over his heart. "Chloe," he said in a fake weary voice. "That hurts deep." Chloe just shook her head and laughed at his fake performance. But I got to give her create for that one, I thought to myself.

**He backed up to the walk-in pantry, lifted a finger telling me to wait, then disappeared inside. I could hear him rooting around in the shelves. When I peeked in, he was taking down a box of graham crackers.**

"Hay D your lucky you were there because I really wanted the Nutter Butters." "You're not supposed to-" Derek started. "Kidding," Simon interrupted.

**A kitchen raid? I couldn't help smiling. Guess it didn't matter whether it was a group home or summer camp, guys and their stomachs didn't change. Simon pulled out an unopened sleeve of crackers. ****"The other one's already open," I whispered, pointing.**

"Like that would have been enough for you right D?" Simon asked and Derek just grunted in response.

**"Thanks, but he'll want the whole thing. Right, bro?"****I followed his gaze over my shoulder, and let out a yelp. **

I could help but to laugh as Derek scowled. "Don't you usually leave that impression on girls' wolf-boy?" _Tori, not nice,_ Liz wrote. I just shrugged it off as if what she said didn't really bother me. "He didn't leave that impression on me," Chloe said quietly. Derek smiled gratefully at her as we stared at the blushing couple.

**The guy standing behind me had to be six feet tall, with shoulders as wide as the door. Though he was as big as an adult, he'd never be mistaken for one. His face could be used as the "before" picture for acne cream. Dark hair hung in his eyes, lank and dull.**

Derek scowled at Chloe; she gave a nervous laugh ignoring his eyes. She swallowed, "I'm sorry Der It's just a description." He sighed and I saw him squeeze her hand. "It's alright Chlo."

**"****I- I- I-" I swallowed. "I didn't see you there."****He reached past me and took the crackers from Simon. When he started to retreat, Simon grabbed the back of his shirt. **

"What," I said with a fake gasp. "You're not even going to introduce yourself." Derek mumbled something under his breath too low for me to hear but Chloe giggled.

**"We're still teaching him manners," he said to me. **** "****Derek, Chloe. Chloe, my brother, Derek."****"Brother?" I said.****"Yeah." Derek's voice was a low rumble. "Identical twins."**

I looked up from the story and glanced back and forth between Simon and Derek. "What?" Derek finely asked, and I shrugged. "Just trying to figure out how the two of you could be identical twins." Derek snorted at the comment and Simon grind stupidly at his brother.

"**He's my foster brother," Simon said. "So I was just about to tell Chloe-"**

**"We done here?" Derek said.**

Chloe shook her head, "Always blunt and to the point." She shared a look with Derek; cleared her throat and became quite again.

**Simon waved him away, then rolled his eyes. "Sorry. Anyway, I was just going to say welcome-"**

**"Simon?" Tori's voice echoed through the kitchen.**

"Speak of the devil," Simon muttered. I scowled and gave him the finger. What did I ever see in him?

**"****Aha. I thought I heard you." Her fingers closed around the pantry door. "You and Derek, always raiding the-"****She spotted me and her eyes narrowed.**

"Cat fight," Simon said, and this time it was Chloe's turn to call him out. "Simon you know what Tori did is in the past right?" He shrugged and she gave me a symptomatic look which I returned with a glare. I didn't want her sympathy.

**"****Tori?" Simon said.****Her expression flipped from simmering to simpering.**** "****Yes?"****He jabbed a finger toward the dining room door.**** "****Shhh!"****As she babbled her apologies, I made my escape. **

"Could you blame me?" Chloe said shaking her head and Derek tried to hide his smile.

**After I finished the carrots, Mrs. Talbot said I could have free time until lunch and directed me to the media room. If I was hoping for a big-screen TV with surround sound and a top-of-the-line computer, I was out of luck. There was a twenty-inch TV, a cheap DVD/VCR combo, an old Xbox, and an even older computer. **

"They were pretty cheap with their stuff." I said remembering that old computer and my mom had promised she would by me a brand new top of the line laptop so I wouldn't have to use it. But then again I never got that laptop she just brought the one I had from home.

**One flip through the movie collection and I knew I wouldn't be spending much time here…unless I was suddenly nostalgic for the Olsen twins. The only movie rated above PG was **_**Jurassic Park, **_**and it was labeled "Please ask before viewing," like I had to show my school ID to prove I was over thirteen.**

"Well-" I started and Chloe cut me off. "Not one word." I smiled mischievously.

**I turned on the computer. It took five minutes to boot up. Windows 98. I spent another five minutes trying to remember how to use Windows. We had Macs at school and I'd finally persuade my dad to buy me an Apple laptop—complete with all the upgraded movie editing programs.**

"Of course you would just but a laptop for it movie editing programs." I said shacking my head. "Apple isn't even the best type of laptop for movie editing. Now if you want good surround sound and a updated browser for editing go for the Mac 22 but the best one for a movie maker is probably one with Intel." The all stared blankly at me. "Never mind," I said with a sigh

**I searched for a browser. I hoped for Firefox, but wasn't getting anything better than plain old IE. I typed in a URL and held my breath, expecting to get a "cannot connect to the Internet message." Instead, the page popped up. Guess we weren't as cut off from the outside world as I'd feared. **

"With how old that computer was I'm surprised we weren't," I told myself.

**I flipped through my favorite sited, killing time until I worked up the nerve to check my in-box. A few minutes check the weekend box office figures cleared my mind, then I typed in the URL to access my MSN account. The browser chugged away for a minute, then brought up a "Page cannot be displayed" message.**

_I hated that it made the place feel like a boarding school or something that was monitoring us around the clock._ "Uh, Liz they were monitoring us around the clock," Chloe said. _Oh ,well yeah…just keep reading Tori._

**I tried Hotmail. Same thing. "Chloe, there you are." I turned as Mrs. Talbot walked in. "I was just…" I waved at the screen. "I wanted to check my e-mail, but I keep getting this." She walked over, glanced at the screen and sighed. "It's that Net Nanny software or whatever they use. It does more than block some Web sites I'm afraid. You can send and receive e-mail through our account. You need to use the email program that came with the computer, and get Miss Van Dop to type in the password so you can send it. **

"Did you ever set up an account with Miss Van Dop?" Derek asked Chloe who was now rummaging through out small motel fridge. She turned to look at him, "No I never had time between planning the escape with you guys and hiding my meds, then there was lying to Aunt Lauren and trying to keep the nurses from seeing me talk to ghost and-" "We get it," we all coursed.

**A pain, I know, but we had a problem last year with a young man accessing sites he shouldn't have and when the board of directors found out…" She shook her head. "We're punishing everyone because of one bad apple, I'm sorry to say. Now it's time for lunch."**

Chloe came back with three cokes and one diet and passed them out to us. "Do you guy ever wonder if the nurses knew we were supernatural?" "I'm pretty sure they knew Chlo," Simon said. "Miss Van Dop defiantly knew but I'm not so sure about Mrs. Talbot, and Mrs. Abdo didn't have a clue I think she was a volunteer nurse." Derek told us.

**I met the last housemate, Peter, over lunch. He said hello, asked how things were going, then turned his attention to his PSP as he ate. Like everything else at Lyle House, it was all very normal. Too normal. Every time someone moved, I tensed, waiting for her to start speaking in tongues or screaming about bugs crawling over his plate. No one did. **

"Really Chloe," Derek said shaking his head. "Just because it was a group home didn't mean it wasn't normal." "Uh, hello; it wasn't normal. They a band of supernatural human freaks in one house to live together. How is that normal?" I tried to point out, Derek just shrugged.

**The food was decent enough. A homemade casserole, chock-full of vegetables and meat. Healthy, I was sure, like the milk and whole rolls we had to go with it. For dessert we'd been promised Jell-O. Oh joy.**

_The Jell-O always freaked me out because they put fruit in it. _"What's wrong with fruit in Jell-O?" Simon asked. _It just looks unnatural to me. _"Of course it does Liz," I said shacking my head. "Of course it does."

**The sirens and screeching tires from Peter's game provided most of the meal's soundtrack. Rae was a no-show. Tori and Liz twittered together, too low for me to join in. Derek was too busy inhaling his food to talk.**

"You really should chew your food." Chloe told Derek and he frown. "I'm a growing werewolf with a high metabolism," he said. "So sue me."

**So it was left to Simon to play host. He asked what part of the city I was from. When I admitted I hadn't been in any neighborhood very long, he said they'd moved around a lot, too—him and Derek.**

"Never at a school for more than a year since we were twelve," Simon said with a sigh. "I can't even remember how many schools I've been too," Chloe admitted. "Far too many to count that's for sure."

**We started comparing worst-move-ever stories, and Tori jumped in about her own moving horror—from her upstairs bedroom to the basement. Simon let her ramble on for two minutes before asking what grade I was in and what school. **

"So rude," I huffed under my breath. "Not really," Simon said. "You interrupted us first." I opened my mouth closed it, then continued reading.

**I knew he was just being polite- including the new girl in conversation- but if Tori had been a cartoon character, smoke would have billowed from her ears.**

I looked up from the book and glared at Chloe. "Oh, come on Tori," Simon said grasping my attention. "You know it's true."

**I'd met girls like that. Territorial, whether it was about a hairbrush, a best friend, or a boy they had their eye on.**

"I am not territorial Chloe." "Sure," she said. I lifted my chin a little higher. "I'm not. I'm nothing like Derek." The person in mention frown at me.

**"Art school," she breathed. "Isn't that just **_**fascinating.**_** Tell me, Chloe. What do you study there? Ghost photography? Ghost writing?"****I choked on a chunk of meat. **

"Bitch," Simon coughed and I flunked the back of his head. "Tori if you're not going to read just hand the book over to one of us and we will," Derek growled. "Keep your boxers on wolfy."

**"Oh." Tori turned doe eyes on Simon. "Didn't Chloe tell you why she's here? She sees dead people."****Peter lifted his head from his game. "Really? Cool."**

"Man, I hope you got in trouble for that," Simon said. I frown but didn't say anything. I had really screwed myself with that one. Chloe made a sound I looked over at her; she looked like she wanted to say something but had thought better of it.

**When I looked up, Derek's fork was stopped halfway to his mouth, green eyes piercing the curtain of hair as he stared at me, his lip curled as if to say **_**What kind of freak thinks she sees ghosts? **_**"It's not like that. I- I- I-"**

"More like that's when he started making his master plan," Chloe muttered. "What was that Derek asked. "Nothing," she said sweetly, but I had the feeling he had heard her anyways.

**"There she goes." Tori sighed. "Liz, slap her back. See if you can restart her."**

**Simon glared at her. "Stop being such a bitch, Tori."  
She froze mouth open, a still shot of humiliated horror. Derek returned to his lunch. I didn't mean it that way," Tori said, words tumbling out. "Like Peter said, it's kind of cool. If she does see ghosts, maybe she could help Liz with her, you know, poltergeist."**

_TORI! _"Sorry Liz," I said lowering my head. I should have kept my mouth shut in the first place and maybe things would have turned out differently.

"**Tori!" Liz shrieked, dropping her fork. "Here we go," Derek grumbled. Liz's eyes filled as she screeched back her chair. Tori retreated into stumbling apologies again. Simon grabbed Liz's glass before she knocked it flying. **

"Just another normal day at Lyle House for the crazy kids," Simon joked. We all frown at him except for Derek who scowled; thinking it wasn't very funny.

**Peter hunched over his game. Derek took advantage of the chaos to scoop up the last of the casserole. **

Chloe shook her head and let out a bubbly laugh. Turning to Derek she said, "Only you."

**The kitchen door flew open and Mrs. Talbot appeared, but her words were beat back by the cacophony. Rae appeared in the doorway holding a basket of laundry. "Last call," she mouthed. "Any more?"**

"I think we should go back into town where we saw that BBQ place to get a bite to eat later." Simon announced. We all stared at him blankly. "What?" "Random much," Derek said to his brother and he smiled sheepishly.

**No one else noticed, much less heard her. I glanced around, and realized with all the commotion no one would notice me if I left. So I did.**

"I noticed," Derek pointed out. "Yeah," Simon said. "We knew you were upset." Chloe smiled uneasily while I gaged.

**They knew. Everyone knew. I was a freak. A crazy girl who saw ghosts. I belonged here. Lunch churned in my stomach. I hurried up the stairs, thinking of my bed with its thin mattre****ss that smelled of chemical vanilla, suddenly so inviting. Pull the blinds down curl up under the covers with my iPod, and try to forget- "Can I help you, Chloe?" Two steps from the top, I stopped and turned to see Miss Van Dop below. "I-I was just going to lie down for a minute. My head hurts and-" **

"Oldest trick in the book," I snorted. "Like you could have come up with something better," Chloe challenged. "Oh, I know I could," I said. "You should have at least used cramps as your excuse. They would have at least ley you go lie down in the media room then." Simon gowned covering his ears with his hands.

"**Then come and get a Tylenol." "I-I'm kind of tired. I don't have classes, so I thought-"**

"**Come down, Chloe." She waited until I was almost there then said, "At Lyle House, bedrooms are for sleeping." "I-" "I know your you're probably tired and feeling overwhelmed, but you need activity and interaction, not isolation. Rae's getting a head start on the laundry before afternoon classes. If you've finished lunch, you can go help her."**

"So fun," I said sourly. Chloe made an in impatience noise and I look pointy at her. "Yes." She rolled her eyes, "Nothing."

**I braced myself as I opened the basement door, expecting a descent down creaky wooden steps into a dark, damp basement, the kind of place I hated. Instead, I saw gleaming stairs , the passage brightly lit, the walls painted pale green with a flowery border. For the first time that day, I was glad of the too-bright cheeriness. The laundry room had a tile floor, an old recliner, a washer and dryer, and a bunch of cupboards and shelves. Zero "old basement" creep factor.**

"What were you expecting?" Simon asked. " Bats hanging from the celling?" Chloe laughed, "More like a creepy dark and damp basement with a dirt floor and creaky stairs."

**The washing machine was running, but there was no sign of Rae. I looked across the room, toward a closed door. As I walked to it, I picked up an acrid smell. Smoke? If Rae was smoking down here, I wasn't going to be the one to catch her. **

Wouldn't but that past Rachel; I thought smugly to myself.

**I turned to go back upstairs, and saw Rae squeezed between two towers of shelves. Her lips formed a silent oath as she shook her hand, putting out the match. I looked for a cigarette. There wasn't one—just a smoldering match.**

"I knew," I gushed. "See I knew she was had matches hidden somewhere. I wasn't lying I knew it. I just knew it." Simon made a jester towage the others and mouthed 'crazy.' Which I pretended to ignore.

**I heard Liz's voice again: **_**She has this "thing" for fire. **_**My reaction must have shown because Rae jumped forward, getting between me and the door, hands flying up. "No, no, it's not like that. I wasn't going to do anything. I don't-" She slowed, seeing she had my attention. "I don't start fires. They wouldn't let me stay here if I did. Ask anyone. I just like fire."**

"You're telling me," I snorted. "Tori," Chloe said shaking her head. _Be nicer, _Liz wrote.

"**Oh." She noticed me staring at the matchbook and pocketed it. "I, uh, noticed you didn't get lunch," I said. "Can I bring you something?" Her face brightened. "Thanks. But I'll grab an apple before class. I use any excuse to avoid eating with Queen Victoria. You saw what she's like. With me, it's food. If I take a big second helping or second or dessert, she gets her jabs in." I must have looked confused, because she waved a hand down her body. **

"Here we go," Chloe muttered under her breath. Before I could even open my mouth Derek snapped, " Keep reading Tori."

"**Yes, I could stand to lose a few pounds, but I don't need her as my personal dietitian." She moved to a pile of unsorted laundry. "My advice? Steer clear of her. She's like these monsters I saw in an old sci-fi film, vampires from space, only they didn't drink your blood, they sucked out all your energy."**

I glared down at the words written on the pad. "You know I never Like Rae," I said. "No really," Simon said in a fake high pitched voice and I scowled.

"_**Lifeforce.**_** Tobe Hooper. Psychic Vampires." **

"Psychic Vampires?" Simon said questionably.

**She grinned, showing a crooked canine. "Psychic Vampires. I'll have to remember that one." Earlier I'd thought I didn't belong here because I didn't feel crazy. I bet none of them did either. Maybe mental illness was like stuttering. I'd spent my life trying to convince people that just because I stammered didn't mean there was anything else wrong with me. I just had a problem that I was working hard to overcome.**

Derek shook his head and let out a loud sigh. "That's what they wanted you to think." "Even when you didn't do anything wrong," Chloe said agreeing with him.

**Like seeing people who weren't there. Like being attracted to fire. It didn't mean you were schizo or anything. The sooner I got over myself, the better off I'd be at Lyle House. The sooner I'd **_**get **_**better… and get out.**

"That little charade is so old," I said. "Be good and take your med, the sooner you can get out." I shook my head, "And they believed half the time one of us pulled it."

**I looked at the piles of laundry. "Can I help?" She showed me how—another thing I'd never done. **

We gave her a bunch of blank stars once again. "I've always lived with housekeeper's guys, so give me a break."

**Even at camp, someone did it for us. After a few minutes of working together, she said, "Does it make sense to you?" "What?" "Putting a girl in a place like this because she likes fire." "Well, if that's all…"**

"It is a little stupid," Chloe said getting our attention. "What is?" Simon asked. "Some of the labels they gave us." We all agreed.

"**There's more, but it's small stuff, related to the fire thing. Nothing dangerous. I don't hurt myself or anyone else." She returned to her sorting. "Do you like manga?" She asked after a minute. "Anime?" "Anime's cool. I'm not really into it, but I like Japanese movies, animated or not." **

"Some Anime cool," Simon said. "But Japanese movies just don't make since to me." Chloe raised an eyebrow at him, "Maybe if you actually saw a cool Japanese movie…" "It that a challenge?" "Maybe," she said but her smile gave her away. "Can I please continue?" I asked glaring. "Please," Derek said who was pinching the bridge of his noise.

"**Well, I'm into it. I watch the shows, read the books, chat on the boards, and all that. But this girl I know, she's completely into. She spends most of her allowance on the books and DVDs. She can recite dialogue from them." She caught my gaze. "So would you say **_**she**_** belongs here?" **

"Defiantly," I muttered under my breath. I got glares in return, "I mean no."

"**No. Most kids are that way about something, right? With me, it's movies. Like knowing who directed a sci-fi movie made before I was born." **

"Really?" Simon asked, and Chloe nodded sheepishly. "That's cool." He said, "It's weird," I countered.

"**But no one would say that makes you crazy. Just crazy about movies. Fascinated by them. Just like-" She shook the matchbox from her pocket and waggled it "—me and fire." The door at the top of the stairs clicked.**

"Busted," I said. "Read Tori," Simon said obviously anxious to know what happens next.

"**Girls?" Mrs. Talbot called. "Are you still down there?" Her footsteps tapped down before we could answer. As her shadow rounded the corner, I snatched the matchbook from Rae's outstretched hand and hid it under the shirt I'd been folding.**

"Few, that was close," Simon said. "You're telling me," Chloe told him.

"**Rae?" Mrs. Talbot said. "Your classes are starting Chloe-" "I'll finish up here, then come up." Mrs. Talbot left. I passed Rae back her matchbook and she mouthed a thanks, then followed the nurse up the stairs. And I was left alone in the basement.**

"Finely done; god that took forever." I tossed the pad onto the middle of the bed. "Someone else's turn to read." "Actually," Derek said standing up and popping his back (which was disgusting). "Let's call it quits early tonight." "Why?" I asked being nosey. Derek just shrugged and shared a look with Chloe. "Oh god, excuse me while I go barf." I said as I got up and went to the bathroom. When I came back everyone had gone over to the boy's room to eat supper. Kit was supposed to bring something on his way back from dropping Chloe and Derek off down town. Hope the love birds have fun.

**My next chapter is going to be a break chapter of Derek and Chloe's date or Derek going through one of his changes and Chloe being right there beside him of course but I'm not sure which one I going to do. So you guy's decide leave a review and let me know KK. See ya'll in the new year!**


	9. Break Chapter

**Hey, guys here is the short break chapter I promaced. I's excatly what I had wanted it to be but it turned out all right. Enjoy!**

**A/N: Dp doesn't belong to me**

I leaned my head back against the seat of the van, and let out a long breath. This story thing was going to kill me. I mean it couldn't get any more embarrassing. Hell, it was all in my point of view. All coming from my head. Every thought that I had thought from the time I had spent at Lyle House.

I opened my eyes to a concerned pair of emerald green eyes staring back at me from the front seat. I gave Derek a week smile but the corner of his eyes still crinkled with concern. "So kids," Mr. Bae said.

"What have you been doing cooped up in the hotel from all day?"

"Nothing," Derek grunted. I saw a little disappointment in his gaze through the side mirror; Derek and his dad were usually pretty close. "Tori, Simon, and I have been caught up in some book. Derek's just sat around and watched us read." Mr. Bae's eyes flickered to me in the rearview mirror.

"Must be some book then," he said and left the subject alone. He dropped us off close to the edge of down town; we'd have to walk from there. As we started our small climb up a heel Derek reached out and gently tucked my in his.

"Uh, about back there with dad-," He said rubbing the back of his neck. "Don't mention it. I know how much you hate lying to him, besides it was kind of the truth." He shrugged, "Yeah I guess."

I stopped walking and stepped out in front of him. "Hay," I said gently pulling him down until our foreheads touched. "If you're not comfortable with this then will talk to Simon and Tori after tomorrows read, and see what their opinion is on the matter. Then hopefully make our minds up on what we're going to do but, you do relieve that if we tell your dad then will have to tell my Aunt because he won't keep it from her."

Derek nodded in agreement, "What if they won't to read it with us, would you be okay with that?" I took his hand back into mine, "Well talk about it tomorrow." He frown deep in thought then slowly came out of his daze and nodded.

We continued walking, with Derek leading to the edge of down town. We stopped at a McDonald's; which was not what I had in mind but I guess I should be happy with getting alone time with Derek at all.

We ate our food then headed to the theater to catch a movie. It was some cowboy, western flick that I had let Derek pick. I usually pick the movie and decided to let him for a change, he seemed unsure at first but one I told him there was nothing out that I really wanted to see he finely gave in.

The shooting scenes were obvious because of their fake blood, and most of the actors had a bad fake southern ascent. There where to many details that made the movie seem to drag on and on; but I managed to sit through with my mouth clamed shut about all the little picky details. I actually think Derek nodded off once but I wasn't sure because I only saw it out of the corner of my eye.

We walked out of the theater with time to kill; it would still be another 44 minutes before Mr. Bae came to pick us up. "So, what do you want to do know?" I asked Derek but he just shrugged in response.

We walked for a little while around town until Derek gently pulled my hand heading towage an old look café. "Derek what are you doing?" I asked laughing as he pulled along heading to the café. He just gave me a mischievous smile in return. As he pulled me through the doors still laughing, I stopped and gapped.

To the right of the store was a little seating along with checkout, and what I presumed to be a small kitchen. To the left was a bunch of long book cases and shelves filled with books. A few chairs and tables spread out around and between them so you could enjoy your hot drink and pastry while reading a book.

"Dad and I found this place when we went grocery shopping a couple days ago." "It's incredible," I breathed. He chuckled, "I thought you would like it. Go find us a seat and I'll get us something to drink." I nodded and he left and went to the counter.

It took me a few tries to figure out how the book were ordered until I finely found one of my favorite books that I've read like a thousand times and sat down in the loveseat at the back corner of the store.

I hadn't even got through the first page of it before Derek was back. He handed me a Styrofoam cup with hot chocolate in it. I took sip let the hot drink sing my tong a little. He sat down beside me slipping his arm around my waist and barring his face in my hair. I pulled the book back up to me and he glanced down at it reading it along with me.

We left not long after that, heading back to meat Mr. Bae. We beat him back to the spot where he'd dropped us off at. "So…," Derek said rocking back and forth on his heels.

"So what?" I asked. "Did I do good, I mean was tonight ok?" He asked in a deep rumble so I would barely hear it. I stared at him before my face broke into a wide grin and I pull him down for a kiss. I pulled away for a breath, "It was wonderful Der, I had a great time."

I told him and he smiled pulling me back into a kiss. Headlights to a car shone somewhere near us but it wasn't until a car horn honked making me jump; that I realized Mr. Bae was here. Blushing like crazy I got into the van with Derek fallowing his ears slightly pink. As soon as I got back to the hotel I crashed; exhausted from my long night. Tonight, so far had been the best date I've had with Derek.

**So how did I do? I hope to write a few more break chapters in the future. If there a any ideas you have for me, I wount turn them down.**

** So Fallower and Guest please R&R.**


	10. Reading Chapter 7

**Hola, mis companeros y amigos. So this has been the first full week of my last 2nd semester of high school :( But I guess that it's a good thing too, I only have 4 more mounths until out and into the big world that lies ahead for me. On down side most of my friends have already graduated early and so there's only like a handfull of us left in my immediate group of friends. Bummer. I've had a lot a free time on my hands this week so I'm stoked about the update. Hopefully with the lazy semester that I have now I get a little more done, but no promises. Enjoy guy's!**

**Oh, and someone who's been leaving reviews as 'Guest' to answer your question, no I'm sorry I can't but if you sign up as a menber to FanFiction (It's simple and quick, I promise) there a thing where it will 'Alert' you when I update my story :)**

**Don't own DP **

**CPROV**

I woke up the next morning from a well needed sleep. Tori and I woke up early, and waited for Aunt Lauren and Mr. Bae to return with breakfast so we could continue on with the story. As soon all of us had eaten Derek pulled me aside back into his room. "Do you want to talk to the others about telling my Dad and your Aunt?" I could tell he was still unsure about the idea. "We'll read for a little while and then we will talk about it over lunch." He nodded and started to head back to the other so we start reading but I grabbed his arm and pulled him down to me. Our lips met in a short sweet kiss that didn't last long because Tori yelled, "Hey love birds get in here." Derek pulled away with a sigh and led the way back to the other room. We all crammed on one bed with a few snacks just in case, so we wouldn't have to get up. "So who wants to read? Anyone?" Tori said dangling the yellow writing pad between her thumb and index finger. Simon who was still half asleep and said something like, "Mmmuuhh… wha-?" I sighed, "I guess it's my turn."

**I tossed a pair of underwear marked **_**Liz **_**into her pile, the stopped. Did we wash the guy's underwear, too? I really hoped not. I shifted through the pile, finding only ones for Rae, Liz and Tori, and exhaled in relief. **

"As if I would touch their underwear," Tori said crinkling up her noise.

"**Girl…" A man's voice over my head. I stiffened but forced myself to keep strong. No one was here. Or, if someone was, he wasn't real. This is how I needed to handle it. Not jump like a scorched cat. Tough it out. Hear the voices, see the visions and ignore them. "… come here…" The voice had moved across the room. I lifted a red lace thong marked **_**Tori**_** n and thought about my little girl cotton undies. "… over here…"**

"Nice undies _Tori,_" Simon smirked still half asleep. I could see Tori was fighting the eager to smack him.

**I tried to focus on how I could get better underwear before anyone else washed mine, but my hands started to tremble from effort of ignoring the voice. Just one look. Just one-**

**I glanced around across the room. No one there. I sighed and returned to sorting. "…door … closed…" I looked at the closed door. The one I'd noticed earlier, which was proof that the voice was really just not my overactive imagination. **

"Oh, so now you're listening to what Dr. Gill says." Tori said sarcastically. I made a face, "Cut me some slack. We've all believed something that's she said to us a one point." "I haven't," Simon said. Derek frown, "Simon you never had sessions with Dr. Gill."

_**Why do you need proof? What else would it be? **_**Great. Two voices to ignore. "Open the door … something … show you …" Ha! Now there was a classic movie scene: **_**Just come look behind the closed door, little girl. **_**I laughed, but the sound quavered, squeaking at the end. Get a grip. Toughen up or they'll never let you out. **

Tori snorted but kept her comment to herself.

**My gaze snuck to the door. It looked like an ordinary closet. If I really believed the voice was in my head, then what was stopping me from opening it? I strode to the door, forcing myself to put one foot in front of the other, knowing if I stopped, I'd lose my nerve. "Good … come …" I grasped the doorknob, the metal cold under my fingers. "… open …" I turned the handle slowly. It went a quarter turn, the stopped. I jiggled it. "Locked." My voice echoed through the laundry room. I jangled it again, the twisted sharply. The door didn't budge.  
**

"I always wondered what they kept in there," Simon said with a yawn. "Dead bodies," Tori said and I shivered. Derek pulled me closer to him while glaring at the others who didn't seem to notice.

"**Key … find … unlock …" I pressed my fingers to my temples. "The door is locked and I'm going upstairs," I answered. As I turned, I smacked into a wall of solid flesh and for the second time that day gave a girlie yelp. I looked up to see the same face that had made me shriek the last time. I stumbled back and would have fallen if the door wasn't right behind me. Derek made no move to catch me, just stood there, hands in his pockets as I recovered. **

"Dude, you're supposed to catch a girl when she falls," Simon muttered. Derek turned his head away mumbling something under his breath.

"**Who were you talking to?" He asked. "Myself."**

"**Huh." "Now if you'll excuse me…" When he didn't budge, I sidestepped to get around him. He moved into my path. "You saw a ghost, didn't you?" he said. To my relief, I managed a laugh. "Hate to break it to you, but there's no such thing as ghosts." **

"You should have stopped there wolf- boy," Tori said with a smirk. "Like she would have told you." "I would have," I defended. "Then why didn't you?" Derek asked. I shrugged, "You had to earn my trust first." Tori snorted and Derek scowled at her.

"**Huh." His gaze traveled around the laundry room, like a cop searching for an escaped convict. When he turned that piercing look on me, it intensity sucked the back bone out of me. "What do you see, Chloe?" "I-I-I don't s-s-s-"**

"**Slow down." He snapped the words, impatient. "What do they look like? Do they talk to you?" "You really want to know?"**

"**Yeah." I chewed my lip, then lifted on my tiptoes. He bent to listen. "They wear white sheets with big eye holes. And they say 'Boo!'" I glowered up at him. "No get out of my way." I expected him to sneer. Cross his arms and say, **_**make me, little girl.**_

Tori was now laying back on the bed clutching her stomach and laughing. "I wasn't that funny," I complained. "Oh, yes you were," Derek said trying to hide the smile tugging at his lips.

**His lips twitched and I steeled myself, then I realized he was smiling. Laughing at me. He stepped aside. I swept past him to the stairs. Dr. Gill was a small women with a long rodent noise and bulging ratlike eyes that studied me as if **_**I**_** were the rat—one whose every twitch had to be scribbled into her notebook. I'd had therapists before.**

Tori faked a gasp, "Really? I always knew you were crazy." _Tori; having a therapists doesn't mean you're crazy. _"Oh, but it does Liz," she murmured as if she known.

**Two of them, both right after my mom died. I'd hated the first one, an old man with bad breath who'd close his eyes when I talked, like he was taking a nap. When I complained, I got the second one, Dr. Anna, a women with bright red hair who'd joked with me and reminded me of my mom and helped me get on with my life. **

_She seems nice. _"She was," I told Liz.

**After ten minutes with Dr. Gill I knew she was somewhere in the middle. She seemed nice enough, and listened carefully, but she wasn't going to start cracking jokes anytime soon. We talked about how I'd slept; how I was eating; what I thought of the others; and, mostly, how I felt about being here. I lied about the last. I wasn't stupid. If I wanted to get out, I couldn't moan that I didn't belong or complain that someone made a horrible mistake.**

"Of course you couldn't," Tori said to the yellow pad. We looked at her like she was crazy.

**So I said that I knew my Dad and aunt had done the right thing by putting me in Lyle House, and I was determined to get better, whatever it took. Dr. Gill's rat face relaxed. "That's a very mature attitude. I'm glad to hear it." I nodded, and tried to look sincere. **

A snore came from the other side of the room. Simon had got up from the bed and moved to sit in the chair. No his head was thrown back mouth open as he snored. I was wondering why he'd been so quite. I glanced at Derek to see the corners of his mouth twitching up. "Maybe we should let him sleep." He shrugged; but could already see Tori forming a plan in her head.

"**Now, Chloe, have you ever heard schizophrenia?" My heart stooped. "Sch-schizophrenia?" "Yes. Do you know anything about it?" My mouth opened and closed, brain refusing to fill it with words. "Chloe?"**

"**Y-you think I'm schizo?" Her mouth tightened. "We don't use the word, Chloe. In fact, we prefer not to use labels at all. But a diagnosis is a necessary part of the process. A patient must know her condition, understand and accept it before we can begin treatment." **

"Treatment. Like we have some form of diseases." She scrunched up her noise, and Derek grunted as if he was agreeing with her.

"**B-but I just got here. How c-can you already-" "Do you remember at the hospital? The doctors you spoke to? The tests they ran?"**

"**They found schizophrenia?" She shook her head. "While scientists are working on a way to definitively diagnose schizophrenia, we don't have anything conclusive yet. Those tests, though, ruled out other possibilities, such as tumors or drug use. Taking those results and combining them with your symptoms, the most likely diagnosis is schizophrenia." I stared at the floor. "You think I have schizophrenia?" "Do you know what that is?" She spoke slowly, like she was starting to question my intelligence. "I've seen **_**A Beautiful Mind.**_**"**

Derek made a sound between a coughing noise and a laugh. While I on the other hand tried to imitate one of his scowls. "I was in shock okay; it was the first thing that popped into my mind." Before he could respond I continued reading.

**More lip pursing. "That's Hollywood's version, Chloe." "But it's based on a true story, right?" "**_**B**_**ased." Her voice softened. "I know from your file that you enjoy movies, and that's wonderful. But they aren't a good place to learn about mental illness. There are many forms and degrees of schizophrenia and your isn't the same as that one."**

Derek snorted, "She is so full of herself."

**Wasn't it? I saw people who weren't there, just like the guy in the movie. Dr. Gill continued. "What you are experiencing is what we'd call undifferentiated schizophrenia, meaning you're displaying a limited number of the primary symptoms—in your case, seeing visions and hearing voices. Visual and auditory hallucinations."**

"**What about paranoia?" "We see on evidence of that. You show no signs of disorganized behavior or disorganized speech patterns-" **

"But haven't you always stuttered?" Tori pointed out and I nodded. "If you let me read the next line you'll understand." She shut up but settled on glaring at me.

"**What about stuttering?" She shook her head. "That's unrelated. You display none of the other symptoms, Chloe." "Will I? Eventually?" "Not necessarily. We'll have to be vigilant, of course, but we've caught this early. Usually a diagnosis isn't made until a patient is in her late teens or twenties. It's like catching a disease in its early stages, when we have the best chance to minimize its progression."**

_Funny, that sounds like something she told me. _"And I can't believe I fell for it too. Liz said her face crinkling up as she thought about it. I gave her a small sad smile.

"**And get rid of it." A moment of silence as she fingered a long corded necklace. "Schizophrenia… is not like the flu, Chloe. It is permanent." Blood thundered in my ears, drowning out her next words. She leaned forward, touching my knee. "Chloe are you listing to me?"**

"No, she to busy staring at you like you've grown a second head." Tori said then smirked at me. I stuck my tong out at her, "Oh very mature."

**I nodded. She moved back. "Schizophrenia is not a life sentence. But it is a lifelong condition. Like having asthma. With lifestyle changes and medication, it can be controlled and you can lead an otherwise normal life, to the point where no one will realize you have it unless you choose to tell them." She leaned back, meeting my gaze.**

I stopped reading and glanced up at Tori who now had the ice bucket in her hands. "I'll be back in a minute." She tossed over her shoulder as she walked out of the room. "This can't be good," I mumbled to Derek who raised an eye brow. Tori came back in with the ice bucket half way full and glanced at the sleeping Simon. "Tori don't-," Too late. She had already grabbed a handful of ice and stuffed it down Simon shirt. He jumped up with a cry of rage and did this little dancing in place thing to get the ice out of his shirt. I was trying to hide my laugh unlike Tori who was rolling on the floor. After they started auguring Derek stood up and told them to shut up so we could get done with this chapter.

"**Earlier you said you were determined to do whatever it took to get through this. I know you were hoping for a quick fix, but this is going to require that same level of maturity and determination. Are you still prepared to do that, Chloe?"**

**I had more questions. Did it usually happen this fast, with no warning? One day you're walking around, totally normal, and the next you're hallucinating and running screaming through the halls? Then bang, you get told you have schizophrenia, case closed? It all seemed too sudden. But when I looked at Dr. Gill, watching me expectantly, waiting to get on to the next phase, I was afraid if I said anything, it would sound like I was in denial; and if I did that, I'd never get out of Lyle House.**

"And you wondered why they let Tori out," Simon muttered to himself. Tori narrowed her eyes at him, "Don't make me use the rest of the ice."

**So I nodded. "I just want to get better." "Good. Then we'll begin." Dr. Gill explained about the medication. It was supposed to stop my hallucinations. Once they had the dose adjusted, there shouldn't be any significant side effects, but at first I might experience partial hallucinations, depression, and paranoia. Great. Sounded like the cure was as bad as the disease.**

"Way to look on the bright side Chloe," Simon said with an amused smile. I rolled my eyes at him, but didn't hide my smile.

**Dr. Gill assured me that by the time I left the group home, taking pills would be no different than taking daily medicine. "That's how you need to think of schizophrenia, Chloe. As a medical condition. You did nothing to cause it." **_**And could do nothing to cure it.**_

_Their has to be a cure out there somewhere right? _Liz asked Derek who just shook his head, "I really don't know." I stared at him, "What?" "The genius Derek doesn't know?" He rolled his eyes at me and Simon pretended to pass out. "What has become of the world," he moaned.

"**You'll go through a period of depression, anger, and even denial. That's natural, and we'll deal with that in our sessions. You'll meet with me for an hour a day." "Are these group sessions, too?" I asked. "No. Someday you may decide you want to explore the dynamics of group therapy and we can discuss that later, but at Lyle House, we believe that privacy is critical. You need to fully accept your condition before you'll be comfortable sharing with others."**

"And that's a bad thing?" Tori asked examining her nails. "Well, if Chloe really was schizo, then yeah she would kind of have to come to terms with it." Simon said as he dug through out bag of snacks and pulled out the chips. Derek took them from him, put them back and handed him a orange. He made a face at his brother but didn't complain.

**She laid her notebook on the desk and crossed her hands on her knee. "And that leads to our final topic for today. Privacy. As I'm sure you've guessed, all the residents here are coping with mental issues. But that is all anyone needs to know. We will not share details of your condition, symptoms, or treatment with anyone here. If anyone pressures you for details, you are to come to us right away."**

"It would have been if someone hadn't blurted out at lunch that Chloe see ghosts." Simon said with a smirk in Tori direction; she glanced down at her lap not meaning any of our gaze's.

"**They already know," I murmured. "What?" The outrage blazing from her eyes told me I should have kept my mouth shut. I knew from past therapy that it was important to share anything that was bothering me, but I didn't need to start my stay at Lyle House by tattling. "N-not about schizophrenia. Just … someone knew about me seeing things. Ghosts. Which I **_**never**_** said. To anyone." "Who was it?"**

"Dun daunt duh," Simon said making sound affects. Tori glared but said nothing.

"**I—I'd rather not say. It was no big deal." She unfolded her hands. "Yes, it is a big deal, Chloe. But I appreciate that you don't want to get anyone into trouble. I have a good idea who it was. She must have been eavesdropping when we were discussing your hallucinations and jumped to her own conclusion about…"**

"I never jumped to a conclusion," Tori snapped at the book. I went back to reading but Tori continued to glare at the book as if she could burn it with her eyes.

**A dismissive wave of her hands. "Ghosts. I'm sorry that this happened, but I promise it will be handled discreetly." "But-" **

"**She won't know you told us anything, but it must be dealt with." She eased back into her seat. "I'm sorry this happened on your first day. Young people are, by nature, curious, and as hard as we strive to provide privacy , it isn't always possible in shuch tight living quarters." "It's okay. No one made a big deal out of it." She nodded. "We have a very good group of young people here. In general, they are very respectful and accepting. That's important at Lyle House. You have a difficult road head and we're all here to make that journey as smooth as possible."**

That earned a snort from Derek.

**Schizo. It didn't matter how many times Dr. Gill compared it to a disease or physical disability, it wasn't the same thing. It just wasn't. I had schizophrenia. If I saw to guys on the sidewalk, one in a wheelchair and one talking to himself, which one would I rush to open a door for? And which would I cross the road to avoid? Dr. Gill said it was just a matter of taking my meds and learning to cope. If it was that easy, why **_**were**_** there people wandering the streets talking to themselves? Crazy-eyed homeless people shouting at thin air? Seeing people who weren't there. Hearing voices that didn't exist. Schizo. Just like me.**

"You know Chloe you make some weird but true points." Simon said as he picked a piece of orange peel from his teeth. I blushed, "Thanks I guess," I mumbled.

**After my session, I ducked into the media room to think. I was curled up on the loveseat, hugging a pillow to my chest, when Simon sailed in. not seeing me, he crossed the room and grabbed a baseball cap from the computer desk. Humming under his breath, he tossed the hat in the air and caught it. He looked happy. How could he be happy here? Comfortable, maybe. But happy?**

"I was happy," Simon said quietly. "As long as I'm on the verge of getting killed, I'm pretty happy."

"**He flipped the cap over his hand and tugged it on. He stopped, gaze fixed on the window. I couldn't see his expression, but he went very still. Then a sharp shake of his head. He turned and saw me. A flash of surprise, then a broad grin. "Hey."**

"I remember that day," he said with a loud sigh. "Derek and I had gotten into a fight about leaving to go find dad." I eyed Derek out of the corner of my eye. He kept his face expression mutual, a blank mask.

"**Hi." He stepped closer smile fading. "You okay?" **_**I'm fine **_**sprang to my lips, but I couldn't force it out. I wasn't fine. I wanted to say I wasn't. I wanted it to be okay to say I wasn't. But the concern in his voice went no deeper than his grin, neither touching his eyes. They stayed distant, like he was making an effort to be nice because he was a nice guy and it was the right thing to do.**

I saw Simon cringe slightly. "That's not true Chloe and you know it," He said crossing his arms. Tori snorted at him and rolled her eyes, then snickered at something Liz wrought to her. I just looked at Simon and gave him a forced, sad smile.

"**I'm fine," I said. He twisted the bill of his cap, watching me. Then he shrugged. "Okay. But a word of advice? Don't let them catch you holding up in here. It's like going to your room during the day. You'll get a lecture on moping around." "I'm not-" He lifted his hands. "Their words not mine. I'm just warning you. You can get away with turning on the TV and pretending to watch it, but they'll be happier if you're up and about, hanging with us. We're not such a bad bunch. Not too crazy."**

_Never too crazy,_ Liz agreed. "I know that now," I admitted. The others smiled at me. "Glad to know, Chloe." Liz said with a giggle.

**He gave a blazing grin that made my stomach flip. I sat up, struggling for something to say, something to keep him here. I did want to talk. Not about Dr. Gill. Not about schizophrenia. About anything but that. Simon seemed normal and I desperately needed normal. But his gaze had already shunted to the door. Sure, he thought I should hang out … with someone else. He was just giving advice to the new girl.**

"Not true," Simon muttered under his breath.

**The doorway darkened and Simon's smile flashed fresh. "Hey, bro. Don't worry. I didn't forget about you. Just talking to Chloe." He waved my way. Derek looked in, so expressionless you'd think Simon was gesturing at the furniture. The scene in the basement flashed back—Derek accusing me of talking to ghosts. Had he told Simon? Probably. I bet they had a good laugh at the crazy girl. "We're heading out back," Simon said. "Kick around the ball for our break. You're welcome to join us." **

"Wow, Simon I can tell you really met it." Tori said with a smirk. "Shut up," was his only reply.

**The invitation came lightly, automatically, and he didn't even wait for a response before he brushed past Derek with, "I'll get Talbot to disarm the door." Derek stayed where he was. Still watching me. Staring at me. Like I was a freak. Like I was schizo. "Take a picture," I snapped. "It'll last longer." He didn't so much as blink. Didn't leave either. Just kept studying me, as if I hadn't said a word. He'd leave when he was ready. And he did, walking out without a word.**

"Well I'd say he's being civil for one," Tori muttered but all of us heard her. Derek pretended not to notice and wave for me to contain reading.

**When I left the media room, only Mrs. Talbot was around. The other kids had returned to class after their break. She sent me to the kitchen to peel—potatoes this time. Before I started she gave me another pill. I wanted to ask when I could expect them to start working, but if I did, then I'd have to admit I was still hearing voices. I wasn't seeing anything though. Just that hand this morning, right after I took the pills. So maybe they **_**were**_** working. Maybe it didn't get any better than this. What would I do then? Fake it. **

That earned yet another snort from Derek and this time I cut him a look. He looked at eyes wide in surprise the grunted a, "Sorry." I kissed his check then patted it, "Its okay." He scowled but tried to hide his smile he can never stay mad at me.

**Block the voices and pretend I wasn't hearing them. Learn to—**

**A scream echoed through the house. I jumped, the peeler clattering into the sink. As my heart thumped, I listened for a reaction. No reaction would mean the voice had been in my head. See, I was learning already. "Elizabeth Delaney! Get back here!" A door slammed. Footsteps raced down the hall, punctuated by sobs. The hairs on my neck rose as I thought of the crying girl at school. But I forced myself to the door and cracked it open just in time to see Liz lurch up the stairs. **

I paused, "Sorry Liz." She smiled sadly. "It fine Chloe really," She said so only I could hear.

"**Enjoy the show?" I jumped and caught Tori glower before she hurried after her friend. Miss Van Dop strode from the living room into the hall. "I have had it!" The other voice boomed from the classroom. "I expect some behavior problems tutoring in a place like this, but that girl needs professional help." "Ms. Wang, please," Miss Van Dop said. "Not in front of-" **

Simon scrunched up his noise, "I never like her as a tutor anyways." Derek grunted in agreement and he swallowed a mouthful of crackers.

"**She threw a pencil at me. Whipped it. Like a weapon. Another half inch and she'd have taken my eye out. She broke the skin. Blood. From a pencil! All because I dared to suggest that a tenth grade student should be able to understand basic algebra." Miss Van Dop tugged her into the hall, but the woman broke away and stormed into another room.**

_I kind of wondered what happened to Ms. Wang. You know; like if they would do anything bad to her just because she quit. _There was a pause as we all thought about it, then I shuddered. Derek squeezed my hand and Simon said, "Liz I don't think we want to find out."

**A shadow glided past me and I turned to see Derek at my shoulder. As the dining room shut behind him, I caught a glimpse of books and calculator spread across the table. He must have been there the whole time, doing independent work. As he looked down at me, I expected some sarcastic comment about eavesdropping, but he only muttered, "Welcome to the madhouse," then brushed past me into the kitchen to swipe an extra snack.**

"Alright, that's the end of that. Who's reading next?" Derek gently plucked the yellow pad from my fingers as his arm went around my waist to pull me to his chest. "I will."

**Comments? Concerns? Questions? Please R&R!**


	11. Reading Chapter 8

**Hi everyone, I hope you've been well. School has been such a pain these last few months which is why it took me so long to get this up even though it was kind of a short chapter. Chapter 9 is supposed to be just as short so here hopping I'll get it up sooner, but I can't promise anything.**

**DPROV**

My low rumble filled the room.

**After that, calm descended. Like the calm before the storm, only in reverse. The nurses put dinner in the oven the, then sequestered themselves in Dr. Gill's office, on a conference call, not to be disturbed. No one had disagreed with Ms. Wang's explanation of events. No one tried to say it had been an accident. No one even seemed surprised that Liz had almost put someone's eye out. **

_Well there were a few other incidents… _Liz wrought on the paper. I could help but to snort in spite of myself; there had been more than a few other incidents. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tori's jaw set, trying to keep her mouth shut for Liz sake.

**When dinner time came, Mrs. Talbot served the food, then returned into the office again. Liz joined us, wan and quite. Simon snuck her a juice box, though we were supposed to be having milk. Tori hovered over her, coaxing her to eat. Even Rae and Peter made efforts at convocation, as if to distract her. Only Derek and I didn't participate.**

I snorted. "Nooo, Chloe. No." Simon pretended to moan. "What?" She asked. "You're acting like Derek." She playfully swiped at his arm.

**After dinner Tori reminded Liz it was movie night, when they could get a DVD delivered. She gave Liz the honor of choosing, but Liz seemed overwhelmed by the responsibility and looked to us for help. Simon made suggestions, but said he wouldn't be watching it—he and Derek had a project due the next day. **

"Sure you did," Tori said. Chloe shook her head and looked at me. "Well? Did you?" "Hum," I glanced at Simon then back at Chloe; opening and closing my mouth a few times unsure how to answer. Finely Simon sees my dilemma said, "Of course we did Chlo."

**Liz finally settled on a romantic comedy. While she and Tori went to tell the nurses, Rae announced she had to fold the now-clean laundry. I offered to help. We each carried a basket to the room Rae shared with Tori. I could tell neither was pleased with the arrangement. I swore I saw pencil marks on the windowsill to divide the room in half.**

Tori huffed, "I remember that day." She muttered to herself, deep in thought. I gave her a stranger look, then I continued reading.

**Tori's side was so clean it looked like mine when I'd first walked in. Nothing on the walls. Nothing on the bed or the floor. Every surface was bare, except two picture frames on the dresser. One held a shot of Tori and her parents and the other of a huge Siamese cat.**

"Mrs_. Blank_," Tori said with a said smile. "You had a cat named Mrs. Blank?" Simon said trying not to hide his smile. Tori scowled at him.

**Rae's half had enough clutter for the both of them. Hooded sweatshirts on the bedposts, textbooks balancing precariously on the Desk, makeup left open on the dresser, drawers leaking clothing. The room of someone who didn't see why she had to put things away when she'd only be using them again the next day. Her walls were covered with taped photos. **

Tori snorted. "Do you have something you want to say?" Chloe asked, her eyebrows raised. "Nope." Tori answered popping the '_P_'.

**Rae set her basket on Tori's bed, then closed the door. "Okay, I could beat around the bush, but I hate that, so I'm going to come right out and ask. Did I hear right? That you're here because you see ghosts.?"**

"Ouch, she just jumps into it right away." Simon said shaking his head. Chloe shrugged not saying anything so I squeezed her head lightly and she gave me a small smile that no one else saw.

**The words **_**I don't want to talk about it **_**rose to my lips. But I **_**did **_**want to talk about it. I longed to pick up the phone and call Kari or Beth, but I wasn't sure how much they'd heard about what happened and whether they'd understand. The person who seemed least likely to make fun of me of gossip about my problems was right here, asking for my story. So I gave it to her.**

I looked at Chloe. "You could have came to me or Simon." "Yeah, Chloe," Simon nodded in agreement. "You could have talked to us." She just sighed, "No I really couldn't because I didn't know either of you that well. Derek seemed intimating and Simon; you just seem overly cheerful." "And that's a crime?" He asked. "For someone in a group home, yes," Tori answered.

**When I finished, Rae knelt there, holding up a shirt for thirty seconds before realizing what she was doing and folding it. "Wow," she said. "No wonder I'm in here, huh?"**

"**And it started right after you got your first period? Maybe that's it. Because you were kinda late, all that stuff built up, and then … bam." "Super PMS?" She laughed. "So have you looked it up?"**

"So that's what you were doing that day on the computer, I knew it." I said to Chloe; I saw a light blush cover her cheeks and she mumbled, "Shut up." "What are you two talking about?" Simon asked and I waved him off. "I'm sure it will be in here later."

"**Looked what up?" "The custodian." When I frowned, she went on. "You got chased by a guy in a custodian's uniform, right? And he was burned, like he had died in some explosion. If it really happened, it would have been in the papers. You could look it up online." I won't say the thought hadn't occurred to me, but I'd only given permission to flit through my brain, like a streaker at a football game, moving too fast for me to get a good look. **

We all looked at Chloe who face was red from embarrassment. Then Tori and Simon were sent into a laughing fit while I tried to hold back my own chuckle. "Only you would compare it to that," Simon said. This time I did chuckle and Chloe gave me a fake pout and crossed her arms. "Alright," I said picking up where I had left off.

**What if I was **_**really **_**seeing ghosts? My brain flashed **_**don't go there**_** neon warnings, but some deeper part was fascinated, **_**wanted **_**to go there. I rubbed my temples. Ghosts aren't real. Ghosts are for crazy people. What I saw were hallucinations, and the sooner I accepted that, the sooner I'd get out of here. "It'd be cool if it was," I said carefully. " But Dr. Gill said seeing visions is a clear sign of mental illness."**

Tori snorted, "the only mental illnesses from seeing visions are something she made up." I glared at her to shut up. "Well keep reading," she said and waved her hand causally for me to continue.

"**Ah, the label. God, they love their labels here. Can't even let a girl get through her first day without slapping one on. Mine's pyromania." She caught my look. "Yeah, I know. We aren't supposed to share. Protecting our privacy. I thank that's crap. They just don't want us comparing notes." **

"Well she's not wrong," I said stiffly. Simon nodded his head in agreement, but then again what would he know. Chloe sent me a scolding look as if she was reading my mind then rolled her eyes and said, "Just read."

**She lined up the socks and started matching them. "You don't agree." "Maybe with something like pyromania. It sounds almost … cool. But there are other things, labels, that we might not want to share."**

Simon looked thoughtful like he really didn't understand. Probably because he never had to deal with labels at Lyle House.

"**Like what?" I concentrated on matching the socks for a minute. I wanted to tell her. Like the stuff about the ghosts. As scared as I was of sounding like a freak, I wanted to tell someone, to see what she said, to get a second opinion. **

Now at that I gave Chloe a pointed look that was returned with a glear.

"**They say I have schizophrenia." I studied her reaction. Just a small frown of confusion. "Isn't that multiple personality?" She asked.**

"No," Chloe teased that's just Tori; which sent Simon into a roll of laughter.

"**No. Schizophrenia is, like, you know, schizo." Her expression didn't change. "So it's seeing thing and tuff?" I lifted a white sail of a T-shirt, with faintly dingy armpits. No need to check the name. I folded it and added it to Derek's pile. "There's a whole lot of other symptoms, but I don't have them."**

"We there's-," "Derek," Chloe interrupted me. "I don't think any of us really want to hear about that." I scowled at her which made her laugh, and I had to suppress a smile. I could never stay mad at her.

"**None of them?" "Guess not." She eased back, uncrossing her legs. "See, that's my problem with it. You have one weird episode and they slap on a label, even if you just have the one problem. It's like coughing and they decide you've got pneumonia. I bet there are a lot more symptoms to pyromania, too. Ones I don't have."**

_Why didn't any of actually ever looked them up instead of just talking about them? "_Probably because we thought what Dr. Gill told us was all that we need to know." Tori said, answering Liz's question; while I was trying to remember if I ever had looked any other symptoms before.

**Her gaze fixed on a red and blue sock, and she stared intently at them, as if she could turn them to purple and match. "So what else come with schizophrenia?" "Dr. Gill didn't say exactly." "Huh." **

"Only you would answer a question with huh, Chlo." Simon said and Chloe told him to shut it, which I chuckled quietly at.

"**I guess I could look it up on the Internet. I should." "**_**We **_**should. Schizophrenia and pyromania. I'd like to know more. To be sure, you know? Especially with the way things are going with Liz …" She rubbed her mouth with the back of her hand, still staring at the mismatched socks. "I think you're going to have the room to yourself soon. Maybe real soon."**

I saw Chloe wince slightly and gave her had a gentle squeeze which she did not return. "Sorry Liz," mumbled. "Chloe stop apologizing Liz already forgave you." Tori said slightly annoyed but Chloe remained silent.

"**They're transferring her?" "Probably. They've been talking about it for a while. This is a place for kids who have problems, but they're not too bad and they're getting better. A couple weeks after I got here, they transferred a guy named Brady. **

I saw my brother shift slightly and his jaw tighten at the mention of Brady.

**He wasn't getting worse or anything. Not like Liz. He just didn't want to get better. He didn't think there was anything wrong with himself. So off he went … Taught me a lesson. I might not like their labels and their meds, but I'll keep my mouth shut, play the game, and get out of here the **_**right **_**way."**

"Right way? I don't think there really was a right way." Simon said as he fished for his second cracker out of Tori pack but unlike last time she saw him and ended up smacking his hand. "Hey," she yelled as he stuffed the whole thing into his mouth and smirked at her.

"**And go home." A moment of silence, neither of us moving. Then she yanked a blue sock from my hand and waved it in front of my face. "Whoops." I hadn't even realized I'd been holding it. She folded the blue pair together, then shoved the lone red sock under Tori's bed. **

"Oh, of course she would put it under there," Tori muttered to herself. While out of the corner of my I eyes I watched Simon go for another cracker. One of Chloe's this time; she saw but didn't seem to mind.

"**Done. It should be movie time soon." She piled folded laundry into one basket. "Notice how quick Simon was to get out of watching the movie? Couple of real scholars, those two. Anything to avoid hanging out with the crazy kids." **

Simon but a fake hand over his heart. "Harsh," he said. I rolled my eyes at him my brother could be overly dramatic were I could care less of what Rae thought if us; well used to think of us.

"**I got that impression. Simon seems nice but …" She handed me one basket and took the other. "He's as much of a Diva as Tori. They'd be a great pair. Derek might be a jerk, but a least he's honest about it. Simon makes nice during the day when he has to hang out with us, then bolts the minute he can escape with his brother. Acts like he doesn't belong here. Like he doesn't have any problems and it's all a huge mistake."**

"Wow, is she asking for a slap." "Tori," said shaking her head. "Wait a minute," Simon said. "Did Tori just defend us," he asked me. Chloe gave a fake gasp, "She did." "I did not," she protested. "You did," Chloe said trying to suppress a smile. Simon looked discussed, and I just ignored them all.

"**What **_**is **_**he in here for?" "Believe me, I'd love to know. Him and Derek, both. Simon never goes to therapy, but Derek goes more than anyone. No one ever comes to visit them, but sometimes you'll hear then going on about their dad. Simon's dad, I think. If he's so grate, why'd he dump them here and take off? And how do two guys from the same family, but not blood brothers, both have mental problems? I'd love to see their files."**

That earned her a snort and an eye roll as I read this.

**I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about Simon. And maybe Derek, if only because I had the feeling I might need some ammunition against him. But I wouldn't want anyone to read **_**my**_** file and I wasn't going to help Rae read theirs. **

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Chloe look away sheepishly. We both knew that was a lie.

"**We couldn't risk having a peek tonight anyways," she said. "With what's going on with Liz, they'll be on high alert. I don't want to get kicked out for corrupting the new kid."**

I heard Chloe mutter something about 'new kid' under her breath but didn't quit catch it so I let it go.

"**Maybe I'd get tossed out for corrupting you." She caught my grin and laughed. "Oh, yeah, you're trouble, girl. I can tell." She scooted me from the room and shut the door behind us.**

"Alright that's the end; who's next?" "Bro toss it," Simon said and I did. He caught the pad easly and flipped to the page where I had left off.

**Thanks for all the Reviews guys.**


	12. Reading Chapter 9

**Hey, guys! Hope everyone is enjoying spring break and is glad for the warmer weather. I am defiantly looking forward to it wear I live. So chapter 9 was a short one, but since I thought it was an important one, so I stretched it a little with the dialog. So now it's kind of lengthy. I felt that I was important to make this chapter a little more dramatic (even though I think I failed at that). So check it out!**

**A/N" Dont own anything**

**SPROV**

**I'm not keen on romantic comedies. This may be like a guy admitting he doesn't like car chases, but Rae nodded off a few a few times, too, so I guessed this wouldn't have been her first choice either. **

"I don't think it was any bodies' first choice." I murmured under my breath, only loud enough for D to hear and he rolled his eyes at me.

**I stayed awake by deconstructing the screenplay, which was so predictable I'd bet my college fund the writer a student of screenwriting guru Robert McKee. **

"Who?" Tori asked. "A student of Robert McKee; weren't you listening?" I asked and she smacked my head.

**But as I watched the silly movie and munched popcorn, I finally relaxed. Talking to Rae had helped. She'd didn't think I was crazy. She didn't even think I was schizophrenic. For the first time since my breakdown, things didn't look so bad. **

"Way to keep your self esteem up Chloe." Now it was Chloe turn to roll her eyes at Tori. "Thinks Tori," she said scarcity.

**Maybe life as I knew it hadn't really ended in that classroom. Maybe I was overreacting and going all drama queen.**

"Chlo you're not the one that's the drama queen here," I said. Toir smacked me again. "Ah, I didn't mean you. I meant Derek." "Hey," He growled while we all laughed.

**Did the kids at school know what happened to me? A few saw me run down the hall. More saw me carried out on a stretcher, unconscious. Big deal. I could return in a few weeks and most probably wouldn't even notice I'd been gone.**

Chloe let out a sigh, "I don't know what I was thinking of course they would notice its high school. Gossip spreads faster than a wild fire." D let out a snort. "You're telling me," I said.

**Tomorrow, I'd e-mail Kari, tell her I was sick, and see what she said. That's probably exactly what she heard, that I had something like mono.**

"Defiantly not mono," Chloe said with a giggle. It was even hard for Tori to hide her smile.

**I'd get through this. Whatever I thought of their diagnosis, now wasn't the time to argue. I'd take my meds, lie if I had to, get released from Lyle House, and get on with my life.**

"Okay this whole moving on with your life crap, is really starting to make me depressed." Chloe just shrugged. _Tori. You can't blame her; at the time all of us were trying to achieve that same goal. _"Liz, you know I hate it when your right," Tori wined.

"**Chloe? Chloe?" Liz voice echoed through the deep caves of dreamland, and it took me a minutes to find the way out. When I opened my eyes, she was leaning over me, bathing me in toothpaste breath, her long hair tickling my cheek. The hand clutching my arm kept trembling even after she stopped shacking me.**

"Oh no," Chloe breathed. "This is-. Um, m-maybe we should stop h-here and have l-lunch." "Chloe are you okay; you're white as a sheet?" Derek asked as he gazed at here with concern. "F-fine," She murmured and glanced at me to continue reading.

**I pushed up on my elbows, "What's wrong?" "I've been lying here for hours, trying to think of someway to ask you, some way that won't sound weird. But I can't. I just can't. She backed away, her pale face glowing in the darkness, hands tugging at her nightshirt neckline, like it was choking her.**

Tori looked at the yellow pad warily. "That doesn't sound like Liz." She glanced back at Chloe raising her eyebrows in question. She wouldn't look Tori in the eye at all apparently a question that Chloe refused to answer.

**I scrambled up. "Liz?" "They're going to send my away. Everyone knows they are, and that's why they're being so nice to me. I don't want to go, Chloe. They'll lock me up and-" She hiccupped deep breathes, hands cupped over her mouth. When she looked at me, her eyes were so wide the whites showed around her dark irises. **

"Something's defiantly not right," D said in a gruff whisper.

"**I know you haven't been here for long, but I really need your help." "Okay." "Really?" I shifted a yawn as I sat up. "If there's anything I can do-" **

_You guys I think I'm goanna take off now. I be back to check in on you later. _Liz wrought and the pencil and pad of paper feel silently on the dresser. "Huh, I wonder what got into her." I said only to be rewarded by one of Derek's glares as he tried to comfort Chloe.

"**There is. Thank you. Thank you." She dropped to her knees and pulled a bag from under her bed. "I don't know what all you need, but I did one at a sleepover last year, so I gathered up everything we used. There's a glass, some spices, a candle-" Her hands flew to her mouth. **

"What are you guys doing, what do you need all that stuff for?" I asked looking at Chloe who just shrugged. "I would also like to know what you're doing." Tori said with a very stern and serious look in Chloe's direction.

"**Matches! Oh, no. We don't have any matches. They keep them locked up because of Rae. Can we do it without lighting the candle?"**

Derek made a sound like "Hum…," and stared at the yellow pad intently deep in thought.

"**Do what?" I rubbed my hands over my face. I hadn't taken a sleeping pill but still felt that weird fogginess, like I was swimming through a sea of cotton balls.**

I scrunched up my noise, "That would suck." I earned another glare from D.

"**What exactly are we doing, Liz?" "A séance, of course." The sleep fog evaporated, and I wondered if this was a prank. But I could tell by her expression that it wasn't. I remembered Tori's words at lunch. "The … poltergeist?" I said carefully. Liz flew at me so fast that I smacked backwards into the wall, hands flying up to ward her off. But she only pounced down beside me, eyes wild.**

"That defiantly doesn't sound like Liz." I said and Tori nodded not even commenting on agreeing with me. D cocked his head at the yellow pad and pulled Chloe closer to him.

"**Yes!" she said. "I have a poltergeist. It's so obvious, but they won't see it. They keep saying it's me doing all this stuff. But how would I throw a pencil that hard? Did anyone see me throw it? No. I get mad at Ms. Wang and the pencil flies and hits her and everyone says 'Oh, Liz threw it,' but I didn't. I never do." **

"No you didn't," Tori said defending Liz. "Uh, you do know you're talking to a book right?" She glared at me.

"**It's the … poltergeist." "Right! I think it's trying to protect me because every time I get mad, things start flying. I've tried to talk to it, to make it stop. But it can't hear me because I can't talk to ghosts. That's why I need you."**

Chloe managed a forced bubbly laugh. "I think I need her more then she needs me." She looked deep in thought as if she were thing about all the times that Liz had helped us.

**I struggled to keep my expression neutral. I'd seen a documentary on poltergeist activity once. It usually **_**did**_** happen around girls like Liz—troubled teens desperate for attention.**

We all looked at Chloe a little surprised that she would think something like that. Tori on the other hand looked like she could take her friends head off. "For the record I didn't really know any of you that well back then." Well she does have a point, I thought but kept it to myself.

**Some people thought the girls were playing pranks. Others believed the energy the girls gave off-hormones and rage—actually made thing move. "You don't believe me," she said. "No I didn't say-" "You don't **_**believe **_**me!" She rose on her knees, eyes blazing. "Nobody believes me!" "Liz, I-"**

"I did believe her she just didn't give me time to say it." Chloe said shaking her head.

**Behind her, the hair gel bottles rocked. Empty hangers in the closet chattered. I dug my fingers into the mattress. "O-o-okay, Liz. I s-s-see-" "No, you **_**don't**_**!" She slammed her hands down. The bottles jetted into the air, smashed against the celling with such force the plastic exploded. Hair gel rained down. "Do you see?"**

My brother seemed to come to a realization. "This is the night when-" Chloe cut him a hard look shutting him up. He gave her the puppy dog eyes and she caved and kissed his cheek apparently all was forgiven.

"**Y-y-yes." Her hands flew up again, like a conductor hitting the crescendo. A picture leaped from the wall. It smashed onto the hard wood floor, glass spraying. Another fell. Then a third. A silver of glass shot into my knee. A button of blood welled up and streamed down my leg.**

"It was an accident a total accident, she didn't mean to do it," Tori said. Chloe nodded her head in agreement, "I know."

**Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the picture above my bed quiver. It sprang from its moorings. "No!" Liz cried. I dove. Liz hit my side, shoving me out of the picture's path. It struck her shoulder. She twisted. We both rolled from the bed, hitting the floor hard. **

"Ouch," I mumbled. Tori was practically on the edge of her seat like the rest of wondering what would happen next. Chloe's head was barred in Derek's shoulder while he rubbed soothing patterns on her back.

**I lay on my side, catching my breath. "I'm so sorry," she gasped. "I didn't mean—Do you see what happens? I can't control it. I get mad and everything …" **

"Oh Liz," Tori whispered shaking her head. I was kind of surprised that she was showing any kind of emotion at all.

"**You think it's the poltergeist." She nodded, her lip quivering. I had no idea what was going on. Not a poltergeist though—that was nuts—but if she thought it was, then maybe if she thought I told it to stop, it really **_**would **_**stop.**

"You were supposed to be helping her," Tori snapped. D glared daggers at her and growled when she started to snap at Chloe again. Chloe said nothing just stared at her head then barred he head back in Derek's shoulder.

"**Okay," I said. "Get the candles and we'll-" The door shot opened. Mrs. Talbot's bathrobed form stood silhouetted in the doorway. She flipped on the light. I drew back, blinking.**

"Man, caught by Talbot that sucks." D turned his glare on me. "What Bro?" I shrugged, "Trying to lighten' the mood."

"**Oh my God," She breathed, barely above a whisper. "Elizabeth. What have you done?" I jumped to my feet. "It wasn't her. I—I—I—"**

Tori stared blankly at Chloe, then looked away.

**For once, I wasn't stammering. I just couldn't think of more words.**

Chloe managed a smile, "Yeah that was a first." We all smiled a little at that.

**Her gaze swept across the room, taking in the glass littering the floor, the hair gel dripping from the ceiling, the exploded makeup painting the wall, and I knew there was no reasonable explanation. **

I shook my head, "There not going to believe either of you." Tori sent me a glare. "Will you just shut up and finish reading so we can know what happens."

**Her gaze on my leg and she let out a squeak. "I'm okay," I said, drawing my leg up and swiping off the blood. "It's nothing. I cut myself. Shaving. Earlier." **

"Oh right she'll believe that," Tori said with a snort. Now it was my turn to glare at her. "What?" "What happened to just shut up." I said trying to mimic her voice in a high pitched falsetto.

**She picked her way past me, eyes fixed on the glass carpeted floor. "No," Liz whispered. "Please no. I didn't mean it." "It's okay, hon. We're going to get you help." Miss Van Dop strode in, carrying a needle. She sedated Liz as Mrs. Talbot tried to calm her, telling her they were only transferring her to a better hospital, one more suitable, one that would help her get well faster.**

"Yeah, right what a bunch of crap you liars." Tori lashed out and we all kept our mouth shut about her interrupting again.

**When Liz was unconscious, they shooed me from the room. As I backed into the hall, a hand walloped me in the back, slamming me into the wall. I turned to see Tori looming over me. "What did you do to her?" She snarled. "Nothing." To my shock, the word came out clear, defiant even. I pulled myself up straight. "**_**I'm**_** not the one who told her I could help."**

Chloe face Tori her mouth open about to say something but Tori beat her to the punch. "Don't even think about apologizing Chloe. Trust me I deserved it." "Tori you know what happened wasn't you fault." She shrugged, "But maybe if I hadn't opened my mouth about you see ghost's things would be different.

"**Help?" "By contacting her poltergeist." Her eyes went wide, with that same horrified expression as when Simon told her to stop acting like a bitch. She turned away and stumbled into her room.**

"That's it." I shut the yellow pad and tossed it on the bed. I think this chapter had everyone shaken up a bit. "I'll go next," Tori volunteered. "Actually," Derek said put in. "Let eat lunch."

**Next is the break chapter and Lauren and Kit will be joining them soon, so stay tuned. R&R to all my new readers. Thanks!**


	13. 2nd Break

**Hey guys! So I had a free period this morning and had time to wright the break chapter I owe you. It's a lot shorter then I had intended it to be, but there really wasn't any better way for me to word it. In the future it if the chapter is smaller than... well about this size or smaller I will probably just add it on to a regular chapter.** **Looking forward to summer; I don't know about you guys but I only have 27 more days of school left. Oh, just to post to those of you who don't know, Kelley Armstrong's 'The Rising' is out now, and not to give anything away but it is fantastic I enjoyed it the most out of the Darkness Rising series. On a completely different note I wanted you let yawl know head of time that I probably want be doing any Kit and Laurens' PROV for the story but I may let them read? One last thing does anyone know where I can read the two Darkest Powers short story books free online? If so, please help me out.**

**A/N: Don't own anything!**

**CPROV**

Kit had ordered the normal for lunch. Pizza. One cheese, one veggie, and seven pepperoni. Derek would normally eat most of the pepperoni, with a few slices to spare to the ones who wanted it. The few slices left over would be leftovers for the next day or Derek would eat them later on that night.

We eat in silence with no one really saying much with Aunt Lauren and kit giving us some odd looks which made me squirm in my seat. Once every once had finished I glanced at Derek who shot at glanced at Simon and Tori along with a nod. "Dad, Lauren can we talk to you for a second." Simon asked.

They glanced at him curiously but stopped cleaning up and sat back down. Simon rubbed the back of his neck as he said, "Well you see um… the thing is uh…" "Oh for crying out loud; Chloe wrought a book like thing about us on the run before we found you guys." Tori said interrupting Simon who shot her an annoyed glare.

I gave Aunt Lauren and Kit a week smile. "So that's what Derek meant when he said you were reading a book." Kit said then nodded as if he were agreeing with himself. Derek cleared his throat drawing everyone's eyes to him. "We wanted to know if yow wanted to read it with us as long as Chloe doesn't have a problem with it because it's her point of view."

I bit the corner of my lip and nodded. "I'm fine with it," I said, inking about all the embarrassing parts have already happened to me. So there can't be much more left, right?

"As long as Chloe fine with and I don't really see a problem here so maybe we should read it with them Kit?" Aunt Lauren said her attention dragging me out of my thoughts. I blinked then glanced back at the other who wore a similar expression to mine.

"Alright every one meet back here in two hours and well start the reading," Kit said. We all agreed and we our separate ways for the rest of the day.

After Derek and I went on a walk behind the hotel we still had a good chunk of time to waste before we had to meet the others. I went back up to the room I shared with Tori and Aunt Lauren and brought out one of my yellow pads the one that wasn't quite complete and began scribbling away.

I didn't notice the time until Derek had come to get me to begin the next chapter. I sighed grabbing the right story and heading to meet the others.

**I just want to throw in one more thing. I know a lot of you have been wondering if I was going to continue the story with the second and third book and to be honest I don't have a clue. I would love to of course but it really depends on time. With work and school I always have trouble keeping up with my updates and I will be heading to college this coming fall and have no clue how that will effect with my writing and reading time. But here's hoping. **


	14. Reading Chapter 10

**Okay guys, I got caught up with updating this week and here is chapter ten. It really wasn't that hard though. It was only two pages long... I think? Any ways I want to say a quick thank you to 'keagan bolak' for the advice, I'll have to look in to that. **

**TPROV**

"Okay," Simon said. "Just to catch everyone up were at the part where they came and took Liz away after she freaks out about her poltergeist." I sent a little energy shock his way when no one was looking. He gasped a loud the glared at me and I returned it with a blank innocent look. "Is everything alright?" Kit asked at glanced at Simon with concern. Derek who apparently doesn't miss a beat, meat my gaze with a warning one of his own. "Alright," I said and stretched back on the couch. "Let's get going. Chloe toss me the pad." She did and it landed with a thud in my lap. I smirked, "Thanks." She rolled her eyes. I flipped to the last page where we'd left off and began to read.

**The paramedics came for Liz. I watched her go, asleep on the stretcher, just like I'd been taken from school. Deluxe transportation for crazy kids.**

"Chloe!" Lauren sapped. "That's terrible thing to say." "But it's kind of true when it comes to the Edison Group actually transported us," Simon mumbled.

**Miss Van Dop insisted I take half a sleeping peel. I gave in, but when she tried to fallow it with an extra dose of my antihallucination medicine, I hid the pill under my tongue.**

I snorted, "I'm surprised she didn't check because they usually did for the rest of us." "Well, if you would have just taken you meds in the first place then they wouldn't have had to check." Derek told me with a roll of his eyes. I grumbled 'no it all mutt,' under my breath and was met with a glared.

**I hadn't seen or heard anything since lunchtime. While that might have been the meds kicking in, I couldn't help hoping Rae's wild theory was right—that my "break with reality" was only a temporary mental vacation, brought on by stress and hormones.**

_If only, _I thought. I shook my head and tried to focus on reading.

**With any luck, I was already making the return trip to sanity. I had to test that theory. So I'd save the pill and, if I saw anything, I'd take it. I offered to help clean the room, but Mrs. Talbot took me downstairs to get a glass of milk, then settled me **

"Huh, I never got that kind of treatment," Simon complained. I was about to snap at him for interrupting me but then Chloe cut me off. "You weren't the one who'd almost had a mental break down." He smiled sheepishly at her as the adults frowned from across the room.

**I drifted off, waking when she came to trundle me back to bed, and was asleep again before I could pull up the covers. **

"It seems like we all had trouble sleeping those days," Chloe said. "May I continue?" I couldn't help the annoyance in my voice as I propped my legs up on a nearby chair. She rolled her eyes at me, then wave her hand for me to read."

**I awoke to the fruity smell of Liz's hair gel. I floated there, dreaming I was trapped in a vat of cotton candy, the sweet smell making my stomach churn as I fought through the stick strands. **

"Hay, that would be kind of cool," Simon said. Kit looked at him worriedly. "That would be if I could eat it, not that I can." He rubbed the back of neck and laughed shakily. Derek glared at his brother from behind lowered eyelids.

**Finally I broke free, eyes flying open, gulping air. "Chloe?" I blinked. It sounded like Liz voice, timid and wavering. "Are you awake, Chloe?" I rolled on my side. Liz sat on the edge of her bed, wearing her Minnie Mouse nightshirt and gray socks covered with purple and orange giraffes.**

"Her favorite her favorite night time outfit." I said aloud with a sigh. Reading about Liz's death was going to have me seriously depressed.

**She wiggled her toes. "Funky, huh? My little brother got them for me last charismas." **

Chloe let out a small giggle from across the room. "She really hates those socks now." "Why," Simon asked. "If you would have to wear something for an eternity wouldn't you get bored with it." I said as if he were unable to comprehend. He was about to make a witty come back when his dad cut him off. "Tori, why don't we keep reaing?"

**I pushed up, blinking harder. The cotton candy from the sleeping pill still encircled my brain, sticky and thick, and I couldn't seem to focus. Sunlight streamed through the venetian blind, making the giraffes on Liz's socks dance as she waggled her toes.**

"So you're seeing Liz ghost for the first time, and all you can think about is her socks?" Derek said to Chloe who blushed then said. "It's my fault blame the sleeping peel." "We don't know for sure if its Liz ghost," Lauren said quietly. She got the 'Who are you kidding,' look from almost everyone present.

"**I had the weirdest dream last night," she said, gaze fixed on her feet. **_**You and me both,**_** I thought. **

"Nope that was 100% real unfortunately," Simon said. The adults in the room gave him a disapproving look.

"**I dreamed they took me away and I woke up in this hospital. Only I wasn't in a bed but on a table. A cold, metal table. And there was this woman there, like a nurse, wearing one of those masks. She was bending over me. When I opened my eyes she jumped."**

My voice started to shake a little bit as I read. The room was completely silent, and all I could think was, '_please don't let this be what I think this is'_.

**Her gaze shot my way, and she managed a tiny smile. "Kinda like you do sometimes. Like I startled her. She calls this guy over, and I ask where I am, but they just keep talking. They're mad because I wasn't supposed to wake up and now they don't know what to do. I try to sit, but I'm tied down."**

Chloe make a chocking sound that might have been a sob but since her face was barred against Derek's chest it was hard to tell. Derek was comforting her, rubbing her back. Simon stared at the floor his expression closed off for once. The adults remand impassive and silent.

**Liz bunched her nightshirt in her hands, kneading it. "All of a sudden I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move, couldn't yell, and then…" **

Lauren put a hand over her mouth. "Oh my god," She whispered in a frail voice. Kit was wide eyed and pale.

**She shuddered, arm wrapping around herself. "I woke up here."**

"Dead," Chloe barley whispered, but we all heard her.

**I sat up. "I'm going to help you Liz. Okay?" She scuttled back on the bed, pulling her knees up. She opened her mouth, but she was shacking too badly to form words. **

_You so not the only one_, I thought glancing around at the other who looked pretty shook up themselves.

**I stood, the wood floor icy beneath my feet, and crossed over to sit beside her. "Do you want me to try talking to your poltergeist?" She nodded, chin drumming against her chest.**

I couldn't read anymore I hesitantly passed the yellow pad to Derek the only person who seemed to be keeping his emotions in check. He seemed to understand. He took the pad without a word. I tucked my knees under my chin and quietly listen to him read.

"**Tell it to stop. Tell it I don't need its help. I can look after myself." I reached out to lay my hand on her arm. I saw my fingers make contact, but they kept moving. Kept going. Through her arm.**

"That's sucks," Simon murmured. Chloe let out a short bitter laugh. "It was worse telling her she was actually dead." Derek stroked her hair as her head had moved to lay on his shoulder.

**As I stared in horror, Liz looked down. She saw my hand pass through her. And she started to scream.**

Derek finished the chapter and looked up at the rest of us. "Should I just go on?" Kit nodded, "I think that would be wise."

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	15. Reading Chapter 11

**Hello, everyone! I'm sorry for the inconvenience of me not posting for the last couple of months but my computer broke, and I just recently got a new one. Next week I'm going on vacation and it might be another week or so before I get another post up:( Sorry! I 'm trying to convince my mom to let me take my laptop, but the only thing I get in response is why do I need a laptop camping (which I can kind of see where she coming from). Anyways, this chapter is pretty average in length wise to the series, and I know it probably wont last until a week but just hang in there guys. **

**DPROV **

**I tumbled off her bed, hitting the floor so hard pain jolted through my spine. When I scrambled up, Liz's bed was empty, the comforter wrinkled only where I'd been sitting. I took a slow look around the bedroom. Liz was gone. Gone? She'd never been here. They'd taken her away last night. I hadn't dreamed that part—hair gel still freckled the ceiling.**

Simon let out a low whistle. "I bet that was tough to clean." I snorted. "Like you would know, you've never cleaned anything in your life." "Hey," Simon stated to protest then stopped once he realized I was right.

**I pressed my palms to my eyes and backed up until I hit my bed, sitting down on it and inhaling deeply. After a moment I opened my eyes. Sticky strands of sleep were still woven around in my brain. I'd been dreaming. **_**No, not dreaming. Not imagining things. Hallucinating. **_**Dr. Gill was right I had schizophrenia.**

Chloe's aunt sighed. "I blame myself," she said her gaze down towage her lap. Chloe shook her head, "No Aunt Lauren, it's nobody's fault except the Edison group." The others nodded but she still looked doubtful.

_**But what if I wasn't? What if Rae was right, and I was seeing ghosts? **_**I shook my head sharply. No, that was crazy talk. That would mean Liz was dead. That would was nuts. I was hallucinating, and I had to accept it. I reached under my mattress, pulled out the pill I'd stuffed there the night before, and swallowed it dry, gagging in protest. **

Simon shuttered, "Yuck, I'm sure I would to." Dad gave him a look to keep quiet, but it past by unnoticed. "You're lucky that they didn't give you meds." Tori pointed out but Simon just shrugged because in a way he did have to take meds, and he would have to for the rest of his life.

**I had to take my meds. Take them and get better or I'd be shipped off to a real mental hospital, like Liz. Only Rae joined me for breakfast. Tori was still in her room, and the nurses seemed content to leave her there. I picked at my cereal, scooping one Cheerio at a time so it looked like I was eating.**

"Yeah, that will convenes them," I said in a light teasing voice to Chloe. She bumped my shoulder with hers, a light blush on her pale cheeks. Tori made and gagging noise, while Simon smiled at us and the adults look uncomfortable.

**I kept thinking of how scared Liz had been. Terrified of being sent away. Then talking about her dream of being tied down, unable to breathe… A hallucination. In real life, teenage girls can't make bottles explode and pictures fly off the walls….**

"**Miss Van Dop?" I said when she came in to lay the breakfast table for the boys. "About Liz …" "She's fine, Chloe. She's gone to a better place." Those words sent a shiver through me, my spoon clattering against the bowl.**

"I don't blame you," Tori said with a sigh. "Yeah," Simon said. "The way she said is just so creepy." "I never did like her," I mumbled low enough for those around me to hear. Chloe and Simon snickered, while Tori and Lauren looked confused, Dad was trying to keep a stern look on his face but I could see the winkle in his eyes that eminently made my smile at him.

"**I'd like to talk to her if I could," I said. "I didn't get a chance to say good-bye. Or thank her for helping me my first day." Miss Van Dop's severe face softened. "She needs to settle in, but we'll call her in a few days and you can speak to her then." See? Liz was fine. I was being paranoid. Paranoia. Another symptom of schizophrenia. I pushed back the stab of dismay.**

"She wasn't fine she was dead." Tori snapped, talking to no one in particular. She crossed her arms and stared at the floor so heard I'm surprised it didn't blow up.

**The nurse turned to go. "Miss Van Dop? Sorry. I, um, I was talking to Mrs. Talbot yesterday, about e-mailing a friend. She said I needed to speak to you." "Just use the e-mail program to write your letter and click send. I'll sit in the out-box until I enter the password."**

"Cheap computer program," Tori murmured continuing to glare at the floor. I ignored her comment, probably being the only one able to hear it and keep reading.

**Some instructions from my school had arrived, so after breakfast, I showered and dressed as the guys ate, then headed off to class with Rae. Tori stayed in her room and the nurses let her. That surprised me, but I guessed it was because she was upset over Liz. I remember Liz saying Tori was here because she was moody. There'd been a girl at drama camp a couple years ago whom I'd overheard counselors calling "moody." She'd always seemed to be either really happy or really sad, with no in-between.**

"Like someone we know." Simon said trying to cover up his words with a fake cough. Tori's glare had moved from the floor to him. Dad cleared his throat. "Derek keep reading."

**With Tori absent, I was the only ninth grader. Peter was in eighth; Simon, Rae, and Derek in tenth. It didn't seem to matter much. Kind of like running a one-room schoolhouse, I guess. We shared a room with eight desks and we all worked on our separate assignments as Ms. Wang went around, helping and quietly giving short lessons. Maybe knowing Ms. Wang had been partly responsible for Liz's leaving influenced my opinion of her, but she seemed to be one of those teachers who trudges through her job, watching the clock, waiting for the day to end … or a better job to come along. **

"She would have loved that," Chloe said with a snort. I smirked at her from behind the pad and she smiled up at me. "Oh no, now she's starting to talk like Derek." Simon said in a dramatic falsetto, while Tori rolled her eyes.

**I didn't get much work done that morning. I couldn't concentrate, couldn't stop thinking about Liz, what she'd done, what happened to her. The nurses hadn't seemed surprised by the damage in our room. That's just what Liz did, like with the pencil. She got mad and threw things. **

"She is a pretty incredible with her powers," Chloe commented. We all nodded; knowing not to piss of Liz's ghost in the future.

**But she hadn't thrown that stuff. I'd seen pictures fly from the wall when she'd been nowhere near them. Or had I? If I **_**was**_** schizophrenic, how was I supposed to know what I'd really seen or heard? And if paranoia was another symptom, how could I ever trust my own gut feeling that said something bad had happened to Liz?**

I was irrupted by the loud crunch of a cracker. I glanced up at Simon who munch away happily. Once he seemed to realize that I had stopped reading and that everyone was looking at him. He cleared his throat, "Sorry." I snorted in response.

**Rae was in session with Dr. Gill for the first part of the morning. When she returned, I spent the rest of class eagerly awaiting break time, so I could talk to her. Not about Liz and my fears. Just talk to her. About class, last night's movie, the weather … anything that would clear Liz from my head. But she was having problems on a work sheet, Ms. Wang made her stay through break. So I promised to grab her a snack, then trudged out, heading for the kitchen, sentenced to another hour or two trapped in my own head, thinking about Liz. **

"I wouldn't have brought her a snack back," Tori mumble. "Tori hush," Chloe said who got an annoyed huff from Tori in return.

"**Hey." Simon jogged up beside me in the hall. "You okay? You seem quiet this morning." I managed a wan smile. "I'm always quite." "Yeah, but after last night, you have an excuse. Probably didn't get much sleep, huh?" I shrugged. Simon reached for the kitchen door. A hand appeared over my head and grabbed it for him. I didn't jump this time, just glanced back, and murmured a good morning to Derek. He didn't answer.**

"No surprise there," Chloe teased. "D's not a morning person, are you Bro?" I rolled my eyes at him, it had become a habit for me though I could stop the small twitch from forming on my lips.

**Simon headed into the pantry. Derek stayed in the kitchen, watching me. Studying me, again, with that spookily intense look of his. "What?" I didn't mean to snap, but the word came out harsh. Derek reached for me. I stumbled back ... and realized he was reaching for the fruit bowl, which I was blocking. My cheeks burned as I darted out of the way, mumbling an apology. He ignored that, too. **

"So not how you treat a girl," Simon said with shake of his head as he nibble a cracker. Dad cleared his throat hiding a smile while Lauren just looked disapproving.

"**So what happened last night?" he asked as he grabbed two apples in one big hand. "Hap-p-p-?" "Slow down." My face heated more—with anger now. I didn't like it when adults told me to slow down. From another kid, it was worse. Rude with a grating edge of condescension. **

"Way to go Derek." Everyone tried to hide their snickers, but of course I still heard them. I scowled and mumble a very low apology to Chloe. "It's fine Derek, I know you didn't mean it."

**Simon stepped from the pantry, a box of granola bars in hand. "You should have an apple," Derek said. "That's not— " "I'm good, bro." He flipped one granola bar to Derek, the held out the box for me. I took two, with thanks, and turned to leave. "Might help if you talk about it," Simon called after me. I turned back. Simon was unwrapping his granola bar, gaze averted, trying to look casual. Derek didn't bother. He leaned back against the counter, chomping into his apple, staring at me expectant.**

"I didn't know you were the gossip type Derek," Tori said. "Oh, he may not seem like it but he is." Simon said with a wide goofy grin; while Chloe tried to cover up her giggle.

"**Well?" Derek said when I stayed silent. He gestured for me for me to hurry up, spill the gory details. I'd never been one to gossip. Maybe that's not what they wanted—maybe they were just curious, concerned even.**

"I think it was more curious then the concerned." Simon admitted. "But of course we were worried about you though." "Yeah, I could tell," Chloe said sarcastically. I buried my face in her hair to hide my deep chuckled, which I'm sure she was aware of.

"**Rae's waiting for me," I said. Simon stepped forward, raising a hand as if to stop me. Then he glanced at Derek. I didn't catch the look that passed between them, but it made Simon pull back, nod a good-bye to me, and busy himself with unwrapping the rest of his bar. The door was still swing shut behind me when Simon whispered, "Something happened." "Yeah." I let the door close, and stood there. Derek said something else, but his low rumble swallowed the words.**

"Spying Chloe, I never knew you had it in you." Tori said with a half smirk. "There's a lot of thing you don't know about me," Chloe replied back with her own sly glance towage Tori making the other girl frown.

"**I don't know," Simon said. "We shouldn't—" "Chloe?" I wheeled as Mrs. Talbot stepped into the hall from the living room. "Is Peter around?" She asked. Her broad face beamed. "Uh, in class I think." "Could you tell him I need to see him in the living room? I have a surprise for you." I glanced at the kitchen door, but the guy shad gone silent. I nodded to Mrs. Talbot and hurried off.**

"I knew you were there the whole time," I told her. Chloe just rolled her eyes. "Of course you did."

**Peter's parents had come to take him home. He's known it would be coming soon, but they'd wanted to surprise him, so we had a little party, complete with cake. Low-fat, organic, frosting –free carrot cake. Then his parents went upstairs to help him pack, while Simon, Derek, Rae returned to class and I had my session with Dr. Gill. Twenty minutes later, from her office window, I watched his parents' minivan back out the drive and disappear down the street. Another week and I'd be doing the same. I just had to stop thinking about Liz and ghosts and concentrate on getting out.**

"Yeah, because that worked." Tori said with a snort. "You don't have to be so angry just because Chloe actually tried to get out," Simon remarked. "I did try," She said with a huff crossing her arms. "Yeah and that mountain of medication was really candy." My brother muttered to himself. "Alright," I interrupted before anything else could be said. "Dad you read next."

**Quick note; even though the next Chapter is going to be read by Kit, it will be in CPROV. R&R**


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